catalyst

American  

[kat-l-ist] / ˈkæt l ɪst /

noun

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

• self-catalyst noun
• semicatalyst noun

Etymology

Origin of catalyst

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

Example Sentences

Near-term catalysts for the stock include improving unit economics, potential Hong Kong Stock Connect inclusion in early June and broader regulatory support, especially in Tier-1 cities, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal

A beat would be a welcome catalyst for Tesla stock, which has fallen for six consecutive weeks, dropping 13% over that span.

From Barron's

More: Could Apple’s Gemini deal be the catalyst the stock needs?

From MarketWatch

The results were “the catalyst for people to say, how much longer are we going to do this?”

From The Wall Street Journal

Analysts view Marvell favorably, with 35 of 43 firms rating it Buy, as catalysts align across the AI infrastructure stack.

From Barron's

Related Words

• impetus
• incentive
• motivation
• stimulant