Meaning & use
catalyse
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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