crowdfunding

1 of 2

noun

crowd·​fund·​ing ˈkrau̇d-ˌfən-diŋ 

: 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

2 of 2

present participle of crowdfund

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Dwarf made a pilot short in 2023 at its own risk, partly through crowdfunding, and the pilot traveled far enough to bring Reeves aboard. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026

The shortfall left the festival owing the artists and production companies 200,000 euros in bills, which organizers are now hoping to raise with crowdfunding (a GoFundMe has raised close to 99,000 euros of its 150,000 goal). — Ed Christman, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026

Following their debut at CES 2026 and a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign last February, Tomorrow Doesn’t Matter’s (TDM) Neo headphones are now available in the US. — Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026

Owner Jenny Nguyen launched a crowdfunding effort earlier this year to move to a larger space and create a franchise model. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from gerund of crowdfund

First Known Use

Noun

2007, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for crowdfunding

• refunding
• funding
• underfunding

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Kids Definition

crowdfunding

noun

crowd·​fund·​ing ˈkrau̇d-ˌfən-diŋ 

: the practice of obtaining funding (as for a new business) by seeking contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community