catalyst
- 01 C1 Advanced
a substance that makes a chemical reaction happen faster without being used up itself.
a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy without undergoing any permanent chemical change.
Simple“The scientist added a metal catalyst to the mixture to speed up the experiment.”
In context“In industrial chemistry, platinum often serves as a catalyst to facilitate the production of nitric acid from ammonia.”
UsageUsually functions as a countable noun in scientific reports.
- 02 C1 Advanced
a person or event that causes a major change or action to start.
an agent, person, or event that precipitates a process or significant change.
Simple“The new law was the catalyst for a huge protest in the city centre.”
In context“The sudden resignation of the CEO acted as a catalyst for the long-overdue restructuring of the entire department.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'for'.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
an event at the start of a story that gets the main action moving.
an inciting incident within a narrative structure that initiates the primary conflict or plot progression.
Simple“The discovery of the secret letter is the catalyst for all the drama in the play.”
In context“Critics argue that the protagonist's chance encounter in the first act serves as the essential catalyst for his eventual downfall.”
Synonymsinciting incidenttriggerAntonyms
“The discovery could enable smarter catalyst designs that boost clean power generation while making green hydrogen more energy-efficient.”
“Chemists have developed a catalyst that breaks a long-standing rule governing which molecules receive electrons during chemical reactions.”
From catalysis + -ist.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.