crowdfunding
noun
Did you know?
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
Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 31 May 2026
The women then launched a crowdfunding effort to cover the legal costs associated with pursuing a civil case against him.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 31 May 2026
Regulation crowdfunding allows a company to sell up to $5 million in securities annually to the general public through an online portal registered with the SEC.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
The young studio decided to forgo traditional funding from a publisher or private backers, and instead reached out to the larger gamer community through a crowdfunding campaign.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for crowdfunding
Cite this Entry
“Crowdfunding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crowdfunding. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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crowdfunding
noun
