Standard Lemma guide

catabolism

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /kəˈtæbəlɪzəm/
  • [khəˈthæbəɫɪzəm]
  • [-zm̩]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Destructive (lytic) metabolism or metabolization, usually including the release of energy and breakdown of materials.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: biochemistry, biology, chemistry, microbiology, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: catabolisation, catabolization, catabolysis

Antonyms: anabolism

2

noun

Meaning 2

breakdown in living organisms of more complex substances into simpler ones together with release of energy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: katabolism, dissimilation, destructive metabolism

Antonyms: anabolism

Broader terms: organic process, biological process

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek καταβολή (katabolḗ, “throwing down”), from κατά (katá, “down”) + βάλλω (bállō, “I throw”).

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: catabolisme — destructive metabolism
  • Chinese Mandarin: 異化作用 /异化作用 (yìhuà zuòyòng) — destructive metabolism
  • Czech: katabolismus — destructive metabolism
  • Finnish: katabolia — destructive metabolism
  • French: catabolisme — destructive metabolism
  • German: Katabolismus — destructive metabolism
  • Greek: καταβολισμός (katavolismós) — destructive metabolism
  • Hebrew: קטבוליזם (katabolízm) — destructive metabolism
  • Hindi: अपचय (apcay) — destructive metabolism
  • Japanese: 異化 (ika) — destructive metabolism
  • Japanese: 異化作用 (ika sayō) — destructive metabolism
  • Korean: 이화 (ihwa) — destructive metabolism
  • Korean: 이화작용 (ihwajagyong) — destructive metabolism
  • Polish: katabolizm — destructive metabolism
  • Portuguese: catabolismo — destructive metabolism
  • Russian: катаболи́зм (katabolízm) — destructive metabolism
  • Serbo-Croatian: катаболизам — destructive metabolism
  • Serbo-Croatian: katabolizam — destructive metabolism
  • Spanish: catabolismo — destructive metabolism
  • Swedish: katabolism — destructive metabolism
  • Tagalog: kapsira — destructive metabolism
  • Turkish: katabolizma — destructive metabolism