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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

Recent Examples on the Web Now comes the big question — what are the crucial factors of an outstanding crowdfunding video? — Yec, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2021 Above all, equity crowdfunding has created more options for entrepreneurs to get their product, service, or goods out into the world, many of whom would've had a tougher time doing so through traditional funding, says Murat. — Sierra Leone Starks, Allure, 26 Sep. 2021 Kyle Rittenhouse, an 18-year-old who killed two people and injured a third in Kenosha, Wisconsin last summer, has since raised at least $586,940 through the Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo, revealed a recent data breach. — Lydia Wang, refinery29.com, 16 Apr. 2021 Spurred in part by the crowdfunding of more than $100,000 in student tickets, UTSA is expecting one of the largest turnouts at the Alamodome in program history. — Greg Luca, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Dec. 2021 Apothio’s crowdfunding represents a breakthrough in the legal financing field. — Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2021 In summary, equity crowdfunding offers a way for companies to build stronger relationships with the people who care about their product or service the most. — Neil Littman, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2021 Fast forward two years, and CurlMix is on its way to 9,300 investors, thanks to equity crowdfunding. — Sierra Leone Starks, Allure, 26 Sep. 2021 Since 2012, Seed&Spark has helped thousands of creators bring stories to life and to audiences via story-centric crowdfunding, on-platform streaming, live community events and workplace programs. — Detroit Free Press Staff, Detroit Free Press, 27 Aug. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crowdfunding.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.