The investing term for how easily an asset can be bought or sold without greatly changing its price is liquidity.
Liquidity describes the ability to trade an asset quickly and at a price close to its current quoted value. A highly liquid market typically has many willing buyers and sellers, frequent transactions, and a relatively narrow bid-ask spread. Major publicly traded shares and short-term government securities are often more liquid than rare collectibles or thinly traded private investments.
Liquidity is not the same as safety. A volatile stock may be easy to trade, while a liquid asset can still lose value. Conversely, an asset may be valuable but difficult to sell quickly without accepting a substantial price reduction.
Market liquidity can change during financial stress. Trading volume may fall, bid-ask spreads may widen, and a quoted price may become less reliable for a large order. Investors should consider liquidity needs before buying assets that have lockups, limited trading venues, or long settlement or redemption periods.