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
William Earl, Variety, 12 June 2025
Titles will be chosen from the pool of crowdfunding campaigns launched by filmmakers on Kickstarter’s platform.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 June 2025
Among the company’s indie innovations is its Angel Guild program, in which members pay a monthly fee for access to the studio’s releases as well as a vote in the greenlighting of future films and TV series, and Angel Funding, a regulated crowdfunding platform for approved projects.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2025
Understanding rewards and investment crowdfunding options, like Honeycomb and IFW do, is more critical than ever.
—Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 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 18 Jun. 2025.
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