Meaning & use

catalyse

verb·Academic

Last updated

To speed up a chemical reaction, or, more broadly, to trigger or accelerate a process or change.

See it in a sentence

Enzymes catalyse countless reactions inside the human body.

The scandal catalysed a wave of reform across the entire industry.

A note on using this word

British spelling of 'catalyze'; both derive from 'catalyst', a substance that speeds a reaction without being consumed by it.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

hinderinhibit

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