catalyst

American  

[kat-l-ist] / ˈkæt l ɪst /

noun

• catalysts
  plural

1. 

   Chemistry. a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected.

2. something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces without itself being affected.

3. a person or thing that precipitates an event or change.

   His imprisonment by the government served as the catalyst that helped transform social unrest into revolution.

4. a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic.

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catalyst British  

/ ˈkætəlɪst /

noun

1. a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself suffering any permanent chemical change Compare inhibitor

2. a person or thing that causes a change

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catalyst Scientific  

/ kăt′l-ĭst /

1. A substance that starts or speeds up a chemical reaction while undergoing no permanent change itself. The enzymes in saliva, for example, are catalysts in digestion.

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catalyst Cultural  

1. In chemistry, a substance that causes a chemical reaction to occur but is not itself involved in the reaction.

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Discover More

The term catalyst is often used to refer to the prime agent of any change: “She was the catalyst for the reorganization.”

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-catalyst
  noun
• semicatalyst
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• catalysts
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of catalyst

First recorded in 1900–05; cataly(sis) + (-i)st

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Explanation

A catalyst is an event or person causing a change. Getting kicked out of your parents' house might be a catalyst for becoming more independent. The noun catalyst is something or someone that causes a change and is derived from the Greek word katalύein, meaning "to dissolve." It can be somewhat ordinary, like when moving to a warmer climate was the catalyst for getting a short, sporty haircut. Or it can be major, like how the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is said to be a catalyst of World War I.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

catalyst catalysts

Feinseth sees the election as a near-term catalyst for tech stocks like Amazon and Microsoft.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

The catalyst for Ocon's departure from Haas was a falling-out with team principal Ayao Komatsu after Friday practice in Mexico City last weekend.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

Ng views the expected rate increase as an earnings boost rather than a catalyst for a broad sector rerating.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

"It's a European movement but France served as the catalyst," said Sylvain Boulouque, a historian of social movements.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

“Probably sounds dumb, but the end of Carl felt like the end of normal for me. Eventually my sister left, too. It was like...the catalyst for this foundation-shifting chain reaction.”

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Citi remains a buy rating on undemanding valuation and multiple catalysts ahead, including first-ever dividend payment announcement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Moderna and Revolution Medicines have upcoming catalysts that could help sustain their gains, even as biotech stocks retreat.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Fans of “The Good Wife” or “The Good Fight” are familiar with how the Kings turned emerging tech issues — particularly ones involving Google, Amazon or Facebook — into narrative catalysts for cases.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

The findings, published in Nature Communications, could help scientists develop more effective catalysts for transforming CO2 into useful products such as methanol.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Hearing about Rosa Parks and her protest showed me that there is hope for me and all the students in Ms. G’s classes to truly be catalysts for change.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

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