English Meaning & Definitions
A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.
- “Platinum is often used as a catalyst in the production of nitric acid.”
- “The enzyme acts as a biological catalyst to speed up digestion.”
A person or thing that precipitates an event or causes significant change.
- “The economic crisis served as a catalyst for major political reform.”
- “Her speech was the catalyst that finally united the divided community.”
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “catalyst”.
Derived from the Greek 'katalysis' meaning 'dissolution' or 'breaking down', from 'kata-' (down) + 'lyein' (to loosen). It was coined by the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1835 to describe substances that accelerate chemical reactions without being consumed themselves.
Think of a 'cat' that 'lists' (catalyst) all the ingredients to make a reaction happen faster.
Frequently Asked Questions About “catalyst”
1. What is the meaning of “catalyst” in English?
In English, catalyst (noun) is defined as: “A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.”.
2. How do you use “catalyst” in a sentence?
“Platinum is often used as a catalyst in the production of nitric acid.”
3. What are English synonyms of “catalyst”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “catalyst”?
Derived from the Greek 'katalysis' meaning 'dissolution' or 'breaking down', from 'kata-' (down) + 'lyein' (to loosen). It was coined by the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1835 to describe substances that accelerate chemical reactions without being consumed themselves.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.