Quantitative easing
Etymology
The name distinguishes easing by "quantity" (how much money is created and pumped in) from the usual easing by price (lowering interest rates). The concept traces to Japanese and German economic thought, and became globally prominent after the 2008 financial crisis. Critics note it can inflate asset prices and widen wealth gaps.
noun phrase · /KWON-tih-tay-tiv EE-zing/
A central bank policy of buying large amounts of assets to inject money into the economy when interest rates are already near zero.
What it names
The unconventional tool that dominated the post-2008 economy — how central banks stimulate growth once cutting rates is no longer an option.
Example
With rates already at zero, the central bank turned to quantitative easing, buying bonds by the trillion to keep credit flowing.
Related idea
Can amplify the Cantillon effect: newly created money reaches asset holders first, lifting their wealth before the effects spread to everyone else.