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
New Atlas, 1 Apr. 2025
The crowdfunding campaign raised nearly $20,000 by Sunday.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2025
The crowdfunding effort has gathered donations from over 300 people as of Wednesday morning.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2025
Duplass has pledged a match grant of $20,000 to Shankar and her team’s crowdfunding total on Kickstarter.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crowdfunding
Cite this Entry
“Crowdfunding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crowdfunding. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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