catalysis

American  

[kuh-tal-uh-sis] / kəˈtæl ə sɪs /

noun

plural

catalyses

1. Chemistry. the causing or accelerating of a chemical change by the addition of a catalyst.

2. an action between two or more persons or forces, initiated by an agent that itself remains unaffected by the action.

   social catalyses occasioned by controversial writings.

---

catalysis British  

/ kəˈtælɪsɪs /

noun

1. acceleration of a chemical reaction by the action of a catalyst

---

Other Word Forms

• anticatalytic
  adjective
• anticatalytically
  adverb
• catalytic
  adjective
• catalytical
  adjective
• catalytically
  adverb
• noncatalytic
  adjective
• noncatalytically
  adverb
• self-catalysis
  noun
• semicatalytic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of catalysis

First recorded in 1645–55; from New Latin, from Greek katálȳsis “dissolution,” equivalent to katalȳ́ein “to dissolve” ( kata- cata- + lȳ́ein “to loosen”) + -sis -sis

Example Sentences

The ACS Catalysis study was supported by the Sloan Foundation and the Department of Energy.

From Science Daily • Jan. 24, 2026

Researchers at the Center for Interstellar Catalysis, funded by The Danish National Research Foundation, are continuing to investigate these possibilities.

From Science Daily • Jan. 21, 2026

The work was published in Nature Catalysis on October 31, 2025.

From Science Daily • Nov. 8, 2025

Zili Wu, leader of ORNL's Surface Chemistry and Catalysis group, served as a strategy advisor for the project.

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 2024

Medicines must act either by combination with the affected part, or by Catalysis, changing the molecular action of the living tissues.

From An Epitome of the Homeopathic Healing Art Containing the New Discoveries and Improvements to the Present Time by Hill, B. L. (Benjamin L.)