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
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
In this case, the DAO offered a crowdfunding mechanism, designed to let anyone contribute to a pool of capital, and share in a new pool of tokens.
—Emin Gün Sirer, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Many are financed through crowdfunding, with subscribers garnering exclusive perks, and embrace subtitles and alternate audio (a series like the Japanese cyberpunk Milky Subway is dubbed in 10 different languages).
—Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
All crowdfunding projects have an element of risk, but backers of the startup's first Kickstarter for an all-in-one smart telescope seem satisfied with their all-in-one smart telescope - shipping grumbles aside.
—New Atlas, 8 Apr. 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 2 May. 2026.
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crowdfunding
noun
