catalyst
Americannoun
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Chemistry. a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected.
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something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces without itself being affected.
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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.
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a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic.
noun
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a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself suffering any permanent chemical change Compare inhibitor
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a person or thing that causes a change
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nvidia’s stock, meanwhile, has been in search of a positive catalyst.
From MarketWatch
With fourth-quarter earnings season almost in the books, investors will be looking for a new catalyst for stocks to break out of their range.
From Barron's
By adjusting the ligands attached to the central metal atom, chemists can fine tune how the catalyst behaves.
From Science Daily
To solve this problem, the team designed a specialized supramolecular catalyst.
From Science Daily
The lack of expected top-line growth highlights continued weak demand, particularly in catalysts and industrial end markets, he adds.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
