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

“Tower multiples are deeply depressed, and the stocks are looking for a catalyst against a rising-rate backdrop,” Rezaei wrote, adding that the deal “could put some wind back in the TowerCos’ sails.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

Manchester City was a "catalyst" for infrastructure projects, including the expansion of the tram network, said Krishnan-Harihara.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

Producing hydrogen by splitting water with a catalyst can be cleaner than the dominant industrial method, which relies on natural gas.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

Saturday's triumph could be the catalyst for that.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

The Negro writers and artists regarded Malcolm as the great catalyst, the man who inspired self-respect and devotion in the downtrodden millions.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Lee expects the company’s further shareholder returns and a likely earnings rebound in the coming quarters to serve as catalysts for its share price.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

“Calm is the highlight, but resilience is even more important because there are so many potential catalysts to drive markets lower,” he noted.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

The results reveal the atomic-scale source of the catalytic activity and show why it is important to observe catalysts while they are operating under realistic reaction conditions.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026

Resolving the Petronas-Petros issue and recovering Petronas capital expenditure could be more meaningful catalysts for domestic oil and gas services.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 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