metareactions

Metareaction is a term that appears in several disciplines with no single, universally accepted definition. Broadly, it denotes a higher-order or second‑tier reaction that involves, or governs, other reactions as its components. The word is formed from meta- meaning "beyond" or "about" and reaction, suggesting a reaction that operates at the level above ordinary chemical or behavioral responses.

In chemistry and chemical kinetics, metareaction is used informally to describe feedback processes within reaction networks, where the outcome of some reactions modifies the rates or pathways of others. This can occur through autocatalysis, regulatory species, or dynamic control of conditions. However, since "metareaction" is not a standard technical term, researchers typically describe the underlying mechanism with conventional terms such as reaction network coupling, feedback inhibition, or dynamic systems analysis.

In systems science and sociology, metareaction has been used to discuss meta-level responses of a system to events, such as collective behavioral shifts triggered by information about other reactions (for example, reputational or regulatory feedback affecting subsequent actions). In philosophy and history of science, it may appear in discussions about how experimental results provoke reflexive critiques that alter subsequent inquiry.

Despite the varied uses, metareaction generally implies a hierarchical or feedback-based relation among reactions rather than a single, isolated process. Further standardization of the term has yet to emerge, and readers are advised to rely on context to interpret its meaning.

See also: reaction network, autocatalysis, feedback, meta-reasoning.