catalysis
Americannoun
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Chemistry. the causing or accelerating of a chemical change by the addition of a catalyst.
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an action between two or more persons or forces, initiated by an agent that itself remains unaffected by the action.
social catalyses occasioned by controversial writings.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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self-catalysisnoun
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anticatalyticadjective
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catalyticadjective
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catalyticaladjective
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noncatalyticadjective
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semicatalyticadjective
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anticatalyticallyadverb
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catalyticallyadverb
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noncatalyticallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of catalysis
First recorded in 1645–55; from New Latin, from Greek katálȳsis “dissolution,” equivalent to katalȳ́ein “to dissolve” ( kata- cata- + lȳ́ein “to loosen”) + -sis -sis
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.
See Examples For:
Beyond explaining one of gold's most recognizable characteristics, the research could have important implications for catalysis.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
Those pores make it useful for applications such as gas separation, membranes, and catalysis.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026
The research findings were published online in May 2025 in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental and Energy, a leading journal in the field of energy and environmental catalysis.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2025
Other applications areas could include proton conduction, catalysis, water capture and hydrogen storage.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2024
The principle of catalysis is therefore very important.
From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William
For this module, the authors engineered their strain to express an enzyme called PLA UDP-glucosyltransferase, which is found in the deadly nightshade plant Atropa belladonna and catalyses the production of PLA glucoside.
From Nature ● Sep. 1, 2020
This gene encodes the enzyme GA20 oxidase 2, which catalyses the production of highly active forms of gibberellin3,4.
From Nature ● Jul. 14, 2020
When an siRNA binds to its target mRNA, it catalyses the destruction of that molecule.
From Nature ● Oct. 15, 2019
Having intended to avoid marriage until his career was fully under way, he falls prey to social pressure; the perception that he and Rosamond are already attached catalyses their engagement.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 21, 2018
If, as for many, it catalyses an interest in the cultural, spiritual and historical movements that came together to create it then that’s lovely.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 23, 2015
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.