autocatalytic
|au-to-cat-a-ly-tic|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtəˈkætəlɪtɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊkætəˈlɪtɪk/
self-catalyzing; self-accelerating
Etymology
'autocatalytic' originates from Greek-derived combining elements: 'auto-' from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self', combined with 'catalysis' from Greek 'katalusis' where 'kata-' meant 'down' or 'thoroughly' and 'lysis' meant 'loosening' or 'breaking down'.
The Greek noun 'katalusis' was adapted into modern scientific Latin/English as 'catalysis' (coined in the early 19th century for chemical 'loosening' or reaction facilitation). The prefix 'auto-' was later combined with 'catalysis' to form 'autocatalysis' and the adjective 'autocatalytic' developed to describe processes exhibiting that property.
Initially related to the idea of 'loosening' or 'breaking down' in Greek, the term 'catalysis' became specialized in chemistry to mean 'reaction facilitation by a catalyst'; 'autocatalytic' evolved to mean 'self-catalyzing' or 'self-accelerating' in modern scientific and figurative usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or exhibiting autocatalysis: a chemical process in which a product of the reaction acts as a catalyst for that same reaction, thereby accelerating it.
The reaction is autocatalytic: one of the products speeds up the reaction as it forms.
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Adjective 2
figuratively, describing a process or system that is self-reinforcing or self-sustaining: once it starts, it promotes its own continuation or growth.
The idea gained autocatalytic momentum in the community and spread quickly.
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Last updated: 2025/11/24 04:00