quantitative easing

American  

noun

Economics.

1. the policy by which a central bank creates money and uses it to purchase financial assets, thereby increasing the money supply and stimulating a weak economy. QE

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quantitative easing British  

noun

1. the practice of increasing the supply of money in order to stimulate economic activity

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Etymology

Origin of quantitative easing

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

One came in April 2010, following the end to the first round of quantitative easing to deal with the global financial crisis, with a flash crash for the S&P 500 that May.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

Asset purchases, commonly known as quantitative easing, work best when markets are under stress or facing deflation.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 9, 2026

He said in a recent Hoover Institution interview that he supported the initial round of what came to be known as quantitative easing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Some economists linked the growth in banks’ uninsured deposits in recent years to quantitative easing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

One kind of monetary policy, which involves the central bank buying private assets, is chunked as quantitative easing.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker