The number of reactant molecular entities that are involved in the 'microscopic chemical event' constituting an elementary reaction. (For reactions in solution this number is always taken to exclude molecular entities that form part of the medium and which are involved solely by virtue of their solvation of solutes.) A reaction with a molecularity of one is called 'unimolecular', one with a molecularity of two 'bimolecular' and of three 'termolecular'.
See also: chemical reaction, order of reaction
Sources:
PAC, 1993, 65, 2291. 'Nomenclature of kinetic methods of analysis (IUPAC Recommendations 1993)' on page 2296 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199365102291)
PAC, 1994, 66, 1077. 'Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)' on page 1143 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199466051077)
PAC, 1996, 68, 149. 'A glossary of terms used in chemical kinetics, including reaction dynamics (IUPAC Recommendations 1996)' on page 175 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199668010149)