user-generated content

American

[yoo-zer-jen-uh-ray-tid kon-tent] / ˈju zərˌdʒɛn ə reɪ tɪd ˈkɒn tɛnt /

noun

original digital content created by users, such as product reviews, blogs, or social media posts, to be shared with or used by others, and which may drive traffic and sales for businesses. UGC

Etymology

Origin of user-generated content

First recorded in 2005–10

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.

See Examples For:

user-generated content

Social-media users are earning money through user-generated content, a stealth marketing method where paid posts look like everyday videos.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

Shares of GoPro took off following the company’s 2014 IPO on hopes it could ride a boom in social media and user-generated content to greater profits.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Common to much of the user-generated content are eerie images and haunting stories of mysterious, yellow wallpapered corridors and empty office-like spaces that exist outside of, or beyond, reality itself.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

Any platform that publishes user-generated content — be that an email, a TikTok video or a restaurant review — would be open to lawsuits for publishing said content, opening the floodgates for litigation.

From Salon ● Apr. 16, 2026

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 provides legal immunity to online platforms for user-generated content.

From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023