crowdfunding
noun
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Crowdsourcing and crowdfunding are two words that have recently found their way into the crowded pool of English. Crowdsourcing, which typically refers to the practice of soliciting services, ideas, or content from a large group of people online, was coined by Jeff Howe in a 2006 article in Wired, and crowdfunding was created by entrepreneur Michael Sullivan in that same year. Both words conceptualize "the crowd" as a vast online community from which something needed may be obtained. In crowdsourcing, the crowd is called upon for needed assistance or information. A well-known use of crowdsourcing is Wikipedia, whose content is the result of various contributors. Crowdfunding, on the other hand, involves a more specific request: the crowd is solicited for financial contributions to a particular venture or cause, such as a film project or cancer research.
Examples of crowdfunding in a Sentence
Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Available in titanium or brass via a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, the Bullet2 comes in a bunch of finishes and three variants.
—New Atlas, 15 Jan. 2025
For people who choose to donate via the popular crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, their donation may have a tip automatically added on top of the donation.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
The measures included freezing personal and corporate bank accounts, towing vehicles, and tightening anti-money laundering rules to target crowdfunding platforms supporting the protests.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for crowdfunding 
Dictionary Entries Near crowdfunding
Cite this Entry
“Crowdfunding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crowdfunding. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
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