Standard Lemma guide

catalytic

adj · 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌkætəˈlɪtɪk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪtɪk
  • CMU ARPABET: K AE2 T AH0 L IH1 T IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or relating to a catalyst; having properties facilitating chemical reaction or change.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

relating to or causing or involving catalysis

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • catalytic reactions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: catalític — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Czech: katalytický — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Danish: katalytisk — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Finnish: katalyyttinen — of, or relating to catalysts
  • French: catalytique — of, or relating to catalysts
  • German: katalytisch — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Greek: καταλυτικός (katalytikós) — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Icelandic: hvetjandi — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Italian: catalitico — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Polish: katalityczny — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Portuguese: catalítico — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Romanian: catalitic — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Russian: каталити́ческий (katalitíčeskij) — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Spanish: catalítico — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Tagalog: ganapbilusin — of, or relating to catalysts
  • Turkish: katalitik — of, or relating to catalysts