activate vs catalyze

activate

verb
  • To hasten a chemical reaction, especially by heating. 

  • To organize or create a military unit or station. 

  • To bring a player back after an injury. 

  • To put a device, mechanism (alarm etc.) or system into action or motion; to trigger, to actuate, to set off, to enable. 

  • To render a substance radioactive. 

  • To render more reactive; excite. 

  • To remove the limitations of demoware by providing a license; to unlock. 

  • To render a molecule reactive, active, or effective in performing its function. 

  • To encourage development or induce increased activity; to stimulate. 

  • To aerate in order to aid decomposition of organic matter. 

catalyze

verb
  • To bring about the catalysis of a chemical reaction. 

  • To accelerate a process. 

  • To inspire significantly by catalysis. 

How often have the words activate and catalyze occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )