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Definitions

catalyst

[kat-l-ist] / ˈkæt l ɪst /
NOUN
something which incites activity
Synonyms
STRONGEST
impetus incentive motivation stimulant
STRONG
adjuvant agitator enzyme goad impulse incendiary incitation incitement reactant reactionary spur synergist
WEAK
radical stimulus spark plug wave maker
Antonyms
STRONGEST
block hindrance
WEAK
blockage preventer prevention

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Everybody was trying to figure out, 'How did DeepSeek do it?'. And it's really… been a very positive catalyst for the Chinese AI ecosystem."

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

For cryptos, there’s another catalyst that could be pushing prices higher—Strategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

For one, Materne thinks growing adoption of “usage-based” performance metrics is one potential catalyst.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

The pool of individual investors that acted as a catalyst for private-credit firms’ rapid growth is now a source of fragility.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

The catalyst for the change was the Whiskey Rebellion, a popular insurgency in four counties of western Pennsylvania protesting an excise tax on whiskey.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis