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
Prakhar Khanna, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
Think group projects, crowdfunding campaigns or even turning a casual chat into a lucrative endeavor.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, refinery29.com, 17 Dec. 2024
The Independent reported on Tuesday that GoFundMe, another crowdfunding site, had shut down multiple pages started in support of Mangione.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
The company is part of a new wave of equity crowdfunding that could reshape the kinds of films that Hollywood makes.
—Tim Baysinger, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
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 21 Jan. 2025.
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