catalyst
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catalyst
- /ˈkæt.ɪ.lɪst/ UK
- /ˈkæt.ə.lɪst/ Australia, Canada, US
- [ˈkæɾ.ə.lɪst] Australia, Canada, US
- /ˈkɛt.ə.ləst/ New Zealand
- [ˈkɛɾ.ə.ləst] New Zealand
noun catalysts
- A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process. Enzymes, the catalysts of biological systems, are remarkable molecular devices that determine the pattern of chemical transformations.
-
Something that encourages progress or change.
(obsolete)
Similar: stimulus, straw that stirs the drink, solicitor · Opposite: inhibitor, dampener
- An inciting incident that sets the successive conflict into motion. The current view by both Labour and Conservative politicians is that the state of the UK railway is unsustainable, and the pandemic acted as a catalyst in exposing its weaknesses.
- A catalytic converter.
- An object that facilitates the casting of a spell (such as a magic wand).
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: accelerator, catalysis, catalytic, fertilizer, momentum, warm, switch, motor, centrepiece, lever, trigger, engine, vector, springboard, driver, converter
Translations
Every language
noun substance which increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process
| Español | catalizador |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 촉매 chongmae |
| 日本語 | 触媒 shokubai |
| 中文 | 觸媒 /触媒 chùméi, 催化劑 /催化剂 cuīhuàjì |
| हिन्दी | उत्प्रेरक utprerak |
| Português | catalisador |
| Français | catalyseur |
| Deutsch | Katalysator |
| Italiano | catalizzatore |
| Ελληνικά | καταλύτης katalýtis |
| Română | catalizator |
| Русский | катализа́тор katalizátor |
| Tiếng Việt | chất xúc tác |
| العربية | حَفَّاز ḥaffāz |
| עברית | זָרָז zaráz, קָטָלִיזָטוֹר katalizatór |
noun something that encourages progress or change
| Español | catalizador, fermento, levadura, agitador, demiurgo, enzima |
|---|---|
| Português | catalisador |
| Français | catalyseur, ferment, démiurge, électron libre, levain, agitateur |
| Italiano | catalizzatore |
| Ελληνικά | καταλύτης katalýtis |
| Română | catalizator |
| Русский | катализа́тор katalizátor |
Talk about this word "catalyst." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/catalyst. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. catalyst. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/catalyst "catalyst." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/catalyst.Cite this
@misc{catalyst_2026,
title = {catalyst},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/catalyst},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
