crowdsource

[ kroud-sawrs, -sohrs ]

verb (used with or without object)

, crowd·sourced, crowd·sourc·ing.

1. to utilize (labor, information, etc.) contributed by the general public to (a project), often via the internet and without compensation:

   The team's use of Facebook to crowdsource accurate scientific data allowed the project to be completed on time.

   The newspaper crowdsourced its investigation into the scandal.

crowdsource

/ ˈkraʊdˌsɔːs /

verb

1. to outsource work to an unspecified group of people, typically by making an appeal to the general public on the internet

Derived Forms

• ˈcrowdsourcing, noun

Other Words From

• crowdsourcing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of crowdsource¹

First recorded in 2006; crowd ¹ + (out)source

Word History and Origins

Origin of crowdsource¹

c21: from crowd + (out)source

Example Sentences

The mass of election fraud claims spreading on social media have been aided by a network of groups that crowdsource allegations.

From BBC

It also has a feature called Community Notes, which crowdsources fact-checking from users.

From BBC

Shaking was felt as far away as the city of Los Angeles, Orange County and northern San Diego County, according to crowdsourcing reports sent to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

The service charges “requesters” a commission to crowdsource tasks—such as completing a survey or solving a puzzle—to remote workers paid for each one.

From Science Magazine

But with little more than instructions crowdsourced online and parts ordered from China, the resistance forces have added ballast to what might seem a hopelessly asymmetrical civil war.

From New York Times