crowdfund
Americanverb (used with object)
Explanation
To crowdfund is to raise money for a specific project by getting small donations from a lot of people. The internet makes it fairly easy to crowdfund. People crowdfund when they have creative ideas but not enough money to start a business, develop an invention, or complete a large art project. Sometimes, accidents and illnesses cause health problems that aren't covered by insurance, and people often crowdfund to help friends and family pay their medical bills. Crowdfund, first used around 2010, comes from crowd, "large group of people," and fund, "pay for or finance."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I’m still working out whether I’ll crowdfund for my own family, but in the meantime, I donated $20 to the Van der Beeks’ GoFundMe.
From Slate • Feb. 19, 2026
Canada, meanwhile, are semi-professional and had to crowdfund some of their costs to boost their chances of winning a first World Cup.
From BBC • Sep. 24, 2025
In short, it means that schools can crowdfund money from alumni, fans and generous donors to pay athletes directly.
From Salon • Dec. 30, 2024
Her label travails even prompted fans to crowdfund a billboard in Times Square pleading to “Free Sky Ferreira.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2024
Another made a last-minute plea to crowdfund her medical bills.
From New York Times • Nov. 14, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
