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

In many ways, the merger catalyzed Forward Air’s downhill slump over the past year. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 20 June 2024

Criminality and terrorism overlap, so that particular shift is more like moving along a spectrum than like morphing into something new as a group stops trying to catalyze political change in favor of exploiting the status quo for monetary gain. —Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2024

Forty-three years ago, a young U.S. Sen. Joe Biden voted for a transformative policy reform that subsequently catalyzed upwards of $2 trillion dollars in economic growth. —Jon Soderstrom, Hartford Courant, 28 Jan. 2024

Sevilla hopes that his organization will catalyze a broader effort to tackle the issue. —Will Henshall, TIME, 5 June 2024

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