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

Etymology

Origin of catalyst

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

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

"The catalyst may have been the CJP," she says, "but it became bigger than them."

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

An important catalyst for Anterix and its stock has been the Federal Communications Commission’s ruling in February that expanded the amount of 900 MHz spectrum that the company could use.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

Also, Thailand’s Power Development Plan is expected to be a key medium-term catalyst for the independent power producer, thanks to rising power demand from electric vehicles and data centers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The next catalyst for BI will likely come from developments in U.S. monetary policy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

It sounds unbelievable to me that one person can be a catalyst for such a change.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

—The dollar eased in the absence of fresh catalysts to propel the currency higher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Until now, efforts to improve gold catalysts have largely focused on combining gold with other metals or using tiny gold nanoparticles on oxide surfaces.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

For Sinner, they became catalysts for greater heights.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Stock catalysts include potential M&A activity and new product launches, the analyst adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 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

Related Words

• impetus
• incentive
• motivation
• stimulant