platinum

1 of 2

noun

plat·​i·​num ˈpla-tə-nəm 

ˈplat-nəm

often attributive

1

: a precious grayish-white noncorroding ductile malleable heavy metallic element that fuses with difficulty and is used especially in chemical ware and apparatus, as a catalyst, and in dental and jewelry alloys see Chemical Elements Table

2

: a moderate gray

platinum

2 of 2

adjective

: qualifying for a platinum record

see also:

go platinum

Examples of platinum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The passenger door opens, and a woman leans out, long hair swinging into the night in a flash of platinum. —Shyla Watson, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026

And, when its time to sell, APMEX also buys gold, silver and platinum from consumers. —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 5 June 2026

Adjective

Prince, the at times outrageous, androgynous, one-man-band performer and producer, backed up his genius rep by pulling off one of the most unlikely coups in rock history after unleashing the multi-platinum 1984 Purple Rain soundtrack and Oscar-winning film. —Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026

The track, which became a multi-platinum hit, helped push both hip-hop and house music to the forefront of popular music. —Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 24 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

New Latin, from Spanish platina, from diminutive of plata silver — more at plate

First Known Use

Noun

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1971, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing platinum

• cis-platinum
• go platinum
• platinum blonde
• platinum record

Kids Definition

platinum

1 of 2 noun

plat·​i·​num ˈplat-nəm 

-ᵊn-əm

: a heavy precious grayish white metallic element that is used especially as a catalyst and in jewelry see element

platinum

2 of 2 adjective

: qualifying for a platinum record

Medical Definition

platinum

noun

plat·​i·​num ˈplat-nəm, -ᵊn-əm 

: a heavy precious grayish white noncorroding ductile malleable metallic element that fuses with difficulty and is used especially in chemical ware and apparatus, as a catalyst, and in dental and jewelry alloys

—symbol Pt see Chemical Elements Table