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Catalyst
01
a person, thing, or event that provokes or accelerates change or activity by introducing new perspectives or actions
02
(chemistry) a substance that causes a chemical reaction to happen at a faster rate without undergoing any chemical change itself
Example
Technological advances like the automobile were catalysts that drove dramatic changes in urban planning and suburban development in the 20th century.
The assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were catalysts that inflamed social tensions and helped spark widespread unrest in 1968.
The global economic crisis of 2008 served as a catalyst for populist movements and rising nationalism in many Western democracies.
Whistleblowers and investigative journalists routinely serve as catalysts that draw attention to political scandals or corporate and government wrongdoing.
He used a catalyst to break the complex mixture down into its basic elements.
