catalyze

verb

cat·​a·​lyze ˈka-tə-ˌlīz 

catalyzed; catalyzing

transitive verb

1

: to bring about the catalysis of (a chemical reaction)

an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of the sugars

2

: bring about, inspire

his vigorous efforts to catalyze us into activity

—Harrison Brown

3

: to alter significantly by or as if by catalysis

innovations in basic chemical theory that have catalyzed the field

—Newsweek

catalyzer noun

Synonyms

• beget
• breed
• bring
• bring about
• bring on
• cause
• create
• do
• draw on
• effect
• effectuate
• engender
• generate
• induce
• invoke
• make
• occasion
• produce
• prompt
• result (in)
• spawn
• translate (into)
• work
• yield

Examples of catalyze in a Sentence

a reinstitution of the draft would catalyze protests around the country

Recent Examples on the Web

Within 48 hours, the meme coin's value tripled from $20 to $70 per token, catalyzing over $24 billion in trading volume and pushing its market capitalization past $14 billion. —Alexandra Andhov, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025

This prosperity can then feed back to communities catalyzing further growth and reducing costs. —Rose Marcario, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025

At the same time, the pandemic lockdowns catalyzed a surge of interest around people with large followings on online platforms. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2025

The conflict reverberated across the region, drawing in Iran and its Shiite allies in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, and catalyzing events that led to the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. —Andrew Mills, Nidal Al-Mughrabi, and Maayan Lubell, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see catalysis

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

catalyze

verb

cat·​a·​lyze ˈkat-ᵊl-ˌīz 

catalyzed; catalyzing

: to bring about or produce by chemical catalysis

Medical Definition

catalyze

transitive verb

cat·​a·​lyze

variants or British catalyse

ˈkat-ᵊl-ˌīz 

catalyzed or British catalysed; catalyzing or British catalysing

: to bring about the catalysis of (a chemical reaction)

catalyzer noun

or British catalyser