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autocatalysis

American

[aw-toh-kuh-tal-uh-sis] / ˌɔ toʊ kəˈtæl ə sɪs /

noun

Chemistry, Biochemistry.

catalysis caused by a catalytic agent formed during a reaction.

autocatalysis British

/ ˌɔːtəʊkəˈtælɪsɪs /

noun

the catalysis of a reaction in which the catalyst is one of the products of the reaction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

autocatalyses

plural

Etymology

Origin of autocatalysis

First recorded in 1890–95; auto- ¹ + catalysis

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

autocatalysis

The pair were honoured "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis", the jury said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Comproportionation reactions result in multiple copies of some of the molecules involved, providing materials for the next steps in autocatalysis.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2023

But according to Pohorille, the potential for aggregation doesn’t automatically mean Dill is wrong about needing those hydrophobic patches to get autocatalysis started.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 12, 2017

Since RNA would have been better at autocatalysis, it would have been favored by natural selection in the long run.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 12, 2017

Intensified food production and societal complexity stimulate each other, by autocatalysis.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023