Definition of "monetarism" [mon•e•tar•ism]

• A theory holding that economic variations within a given system, such as changing rates of inflation, are most often caused by increases or decreases in the money supply. (noun)
• A policy that seeks to regulate an economy by altering the domestic money supply, especially by increasing it in a moderate but steady manner. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "I mean, it's what I call monetarism for the poor and Keynesianism for the rich."
• "The experiment with monetarism is now complete; the results are clear and not seriously subject to dispute."
• "Sure, Friedman’s strict monetarism is out of favor."