catalyst

noun cat·a·lyst \ ˈka-tə-ləst \

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Editor's Note: Word History of catalyst

Definition of catalyst

1 : a substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible

2 : an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action

That waterway became the catalyst of the area's industrialization.

He was the catalyst in the native uprising.

See catalyst defined for English-language learners

See catalyst defined for kids

Examples of catalyst in a Sentence

The bombing attack was the catalyst for war.
She was proud to be a catalyst for reform in the government.

Recent Examples of catalyst from the Web

The Bucks’ first-round draft pick out of UCLA in 1977, Johnson made an immediate impact as a rookie, averaged 25.6 points in his second year and was the catalyst on teams that won five consecutive division titles under Don Nelson.

— gary d'amato, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "D'Amato: It's time for the Bucks to retire Marques Johnson's jersey number," 14 July 2018
Still, the Yum Center has been a catalyst downtown, drawing in businesses that profit from event crowds and spurring downtown investment.

— allison ross, The Courier-Journal, "The KFC Yum Center was built to spur a downtown boom. Did it work?," 12 July 2018
Emmett’s death became a catalyst for the civil rights movement.

— deneen l. brown, Washington Post, "Emmett Till’s mother opened his casket and sparked the civil rights movement," 12 July 2018
At the cathode, catalysts split N2 molecules and prompt the hydrogen ions and electrons to react with nitrogen and make ammonia.

— robert f. service, Science | AAAS, "Ammonia—a renewable fuel made from sun, air, and water—could power the globe without carbon," 12 July 2018
Emmett was kidnapped and killed days later, his body tethered to a cotton gin fan with barbed wire and then cast into a river. The case — gruesome and shocking — became a catalyst for the broader civil rights movement.

— alan blinder, New York Times, "U.S. Reopens Emmett Till Investigation, Almost 63 Years After His Murder," 12 July 2018
Its president, former star player and catalyst for the 1998 semifinalists, Davor Suker, is a close associate of Zdravko Mamic, the former Dinamo Zagreb president.

— jonathan wilson, SI.com, "Croatia's Character, Resiliency on Full Display in Shocking Run to World Cup Final," 11 July 2018
This reduces the efficiency of the process dramatically by blocking the catalysts or electrodes.

— charles w. dunnill, Scientific American, "Method of Making Oxygen from Water in Zero Gravity Raises Hope for Long-Distance Space Travel," 10 July 2018
Researchers have to figure out a specific catalyst for each type of plastic, some of which have already been identified.

— eva botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "Closing the loop on plastic recycling?," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'catalyst.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History of catalyst

Catalyst is a fairly recent addition to the English language, first appearing at the start of the 20^th century with its chemistry meaning. It was formed from the word catalysis, another chemistry term which refers to a modification and especially an increase in the rate of a chemical reaction induced by material unchanged chemically at the end of the reaction. By the 1940s, the figurative sense of catalyst was in use for someone or something that quickly causes change or action.

Origin and Etymology of catalyst

see catalysis

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1902

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

Financial Definition of CATALYST

catalyst

noun

What It Is

A catalyst is news or information that changes a pricing trend in a security.

How It Works

Let's assume that Company XYZ announces earnings that far exceed analysts' expectations. This information could serve as a catalyst that kick-starts trading in the stock and changes its perception from a "dog" to a "star" among investors.

Catalysts can drive an investment up or down. A favorable event can push a stock to new heights, but if events turn sour, the exit for these shares can be very narrow and very crowded.

Let's take the example of a classic investment catalyst: adverse press publicity. A fundamentally strong company can get unfairly beaten up by the press and by analysts, driving down its stock price to unjustified lows. In this case, the catalyst would signal a great opportunity for investors to buy, not sell.

Why It Matters

Catalysts can change the perception of a security. They can be almost anything: earnings releases, favorable or unfavorable economic reports, management changes, new products, product recalls, successful (or unsuccessful) marketing campaigns, lawsuits, etc.

Quite often, catalysts are the news or events that finally call attention to fundamentals or other intrinsic factors that have existed for some time in a security. When investors can identify what events or information will be catalysts for a particular security, they essentially are able to predict which way the security will go if and when the information becomes public knowledge.

However, catalysts must be considered within the context of investment strategy. Investors buy when they anticipate the market will rise; they sell when they anticipate the market will fall. Catalysts are only one factor in the equation.

Source: Investing Answers

CATALYST Defined for English Language Learners

catalyst

noun

Definition of catalyst for English Language Learners

: a substance that causes a chemical reaction to happen more quickly
: a person or event that quickly causes change or action

Medical Dictionary

catalyst

noun cat·a·lyst \ ˈkat-ᵊl-əst \

medical Definition of catalyst

: a substance (as an enzyme) that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible