[count] 1 a : a flat surface that is raised higher than the floor or ground and that people stand on when performing or speaking
▪ a raised wooden platform ▪ He stepped up onto the platform and looked out into the audience.
b : a flat area next to railroad tracks where people wait for a train or subway
▪ She stepped off the train onto the platform. ▪ Our train is boarding on platform 6.
c : a usually raised structure that has a flat surface where people or machines do work
▪ a viewing/observation platform ▪ oil drilling platforms 2 : the official beliefs and goals of a political party or candidate
▪ political platforms ▪ the Republican/Democratic platform ▪ The party adopted a new platform. ▪ She was elected on a platform of peace. [=people elected her because she promised to work for peace] — compare plank 3 : something that allows someone to tell a large number of people about an idea, product, etc.
▪ The company plans to use the show as a platform to launch the new soft drink. 4 : a shoe with a very thick sole — usually plural ▪ In the 1970s, we all wore platforms and bell-bottom pants. —called also platform shoe 5 computers : a program or set of programs that controls the way a computer works and runs other programs : operating system
▪ The program can be run on various PC platforms.