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
Steve Hartman, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2025
The company is exploring how to raise funds for the redevelopment, which could include a crowdfunding campaign.
—Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 4 Mar. 2025
Despite raising $20 million via crowdfunding, Hayes points out that that’s a drop compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars more prominent platforms have netted.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
Terra Bikes The usual caveats for crowdfunding projects apply, but Terra Bikes claims the Terra Prime is currently in production and is slated to roll out for deliveries by August this year, with shipping to five countries worldwide listed as of now: USA, Canada Mexico, UK, and Japan.
—New Atlas, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crowdfunding
Cite this Entry
“Crowdfunding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crowdfunding. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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