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.

---

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

---

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.

---

catalyst Cultural  

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

---

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

Wary and watchful, Pete wants to reconnect with his son, but he has carried his own grief and fury for so long that they have become more shield than catalyst.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Evercore ISI analyst Mark Mahaney wrote Wednesday that the settlement could be a catalyst for Meta shares, which have been “materially dislocated” due to regulatory concerns and fears about artificial-intelligence spending levels.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Nvidia stock snapped a losing streak ahead of its earnings report, which could provide a catalyst.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

The researchers also determined, at the molecular level, how the catalyst breaks the strong chemical bonds that help hold lignin together.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

Franklins reputation served as the catalyst in an exchange, as Smith of South Carolina attempted to discredit his views by observing that “even great men have their senile moments.”

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Without that information, researchers have had limited guidance for designing more effective catalysts.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

The sharp gains come as a combination of catalysts converge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

These two signings alone will be one of the catalysts for a salary cap.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Within each lineage, newly evolved enzymes gradually replaced the inorganic catalysts supplied by the environment where metabolism had first developed.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 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