English

Noun

sharing economy ‎(plural sharing economies)

1. (economics, public policy) A system of economic exchange in which participants interact in a direct and cooperative manner, often with the aid of social media, to produce, market, and consume goods, services, and resources.
   • 2011, Lucy Bernholz, Philanthropy and Social Investing Blueprint 2012, ISBN 9780984781102, pp. 33-34 (Google preview):

     The sharing economy reveals a return to behaviors such as bartering and to legal forms like co-operatives.

   • 2013 Sept. 16, Eliana Dockterman, "The Rise of 'Sharecations'," Time (retrieved 17 June 2014):

     Tight economic times and a growing openness to strangers thanks to the Internet have given rise to the "sharing economy." People are logging on to sites and apps to rent out their cars, houses and even their clothes directly to one another.

   • 2014 April 21, David Streitfeld, "Companies Built on Sharing Balk When It Comes to Regulators," New York Times (retrieved 17 June 2014):

     In the sharing economy, safety issues, taxes and regulation have tended to be an afterthought.

Synonyms

• collaborative economy
• peer-to-peer economy

See also

• barter
• crowdfunding
• peer-to-peer lending