crowdfunding

noun crowd·fund·ing \ ˈkrau̇d-ˌfən-diŋ \

|Updated on: 3 Aug 2018

Definition of crowdfunding

: the practice of obtaining needed funding (as for a new business) by soliciting contributions from a large number of people especially from the online community

crowdfunding was our Word of the Day on 06/11/2014. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of crowdfunding from the Web

That’s no less true of The ORB, an inflatable mirrored sphere that BIG architects Bjarke Ingels and Jakob Lange are hoping to bring to life through crowdfunding.

— alex bazeley, Curbed, "This Burning Man orb by Bjarke Ingels and Jakob Lange seeks your crowdfunding dollars," 5 July 2018
Over the last week and a half, net neutrality advocacy group Fight for the Future has put pressure on Santiago, and launched a crowdfunding effort to shame him for gutting the legislation.

— makena kelly, The Verge, "A revamped California net neutrality bill is moving forward again," 5 July 2018
In fact, a crowdfunding effort was put in place earlier this year.

— refinery29.com, "What We Know About Stacey Dash's Controversial Film About Roe v. Wade," 3 July 2018
The online crowdfunding effort launched in November and raised $4,595 of a $6,000 goal.

— ted slowik, Daily Southtown, "Slowik: Blue Island is better looking, more engaged after tree-planting campaign," 23 May 2018
This latest incarnation, after a lengthy layoff, came about when creator Joel Hodgson launched a crowdfunding effort.

— chris ball, cleveland.com, "Steven Spielberg's 'The Post,' now on DVD and Blu-ray (review)," 22 Apr. 2018
The photo went viral and a crowdfunding effort was created to help Faber's family with medical expenses.

— william wilkerson, star-telegram, "Report: Former TCU QB Trevone Boykin accused of assaulting girlfriend; he denies claim," 27 Mar. 2018
One detractor has gone so far as to mimic the idea, launching a crowdfunding campaign aimed at getting a giant Sadiq Khan baby balloon flying over London simultaneously.

— alex ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, "London Protest Organizers Plan to Take the 'Trump Baby' Blimp on the Road," 13 July 2018
The balloon, which is 20 feet tall, was created via a crowdfunding campaign that managed to collect over $23,000 to fund it.

— natasha bach, Fortune, "The 'Baby Trump' Balloon Will Fly Over London on Friday. Organizers Want to Send It to His Scotland Golf Course Next.," 12 July 2018

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.

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.