'catalysis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'katalusis' (κατάλυσις), where the prefix 'kata-' meant 'down' or 'thoroughly' and 'luein' (λύειν) meant 'to loosen' or 'to dissolve'.

'catalysis' passed into New Latin and was adopted into scientific English in the 19th century (the term was popularized in chemistry by Jöns Jakob Berzelius and other early chemists), evolving from Greek 'katalusis' to modern English 'catalysis'.

Initially it referred to 'loosening' or 'dissolution' in a general sense, but over time it came to denote the specific chemical process of accelerating reactions via a catalyst and later acquired broader metaphorical senses of 'provoking or speeding change'.