Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine, in particular of a passenger automobile, the piston including a ring carrier held in a piston basic body for accommodation of piston rings associated with the piston. In order to attain favorable transmission conditions for the piston transverse forces, the ring carrier is made of a ceramic material and is designed for at least partial transmission of the transverse forces acting on the piston to the cylinder wall. The ring carrier may be held in the piston basic body by casting-in or also with the help of a locking ring securing the ring carrier axially and in the circumferential direction.