SportsJuly 10, 2026

microtransaction

ˌmaɪkroʊtrænzˈækʃən

Definition

A small financial payment made within a video game to purchase virtual goods or unlock additional features.

Etymology

The word combines the Greek prefix 'mikros' meaning 'small' with the English word 'transaction,' which derives from the Latin 'transactio' meaning 'agreement' or 'completion.' It emerged in the early 21st century to describe the increasingly common business model of selling incremental digital content within software.

In the news

The article discusses the backlash from fans and creators like Bordeaux against EA Sports for introducing these small payments into the offline modes of College Football 27. This shift is seen as a betrayal of player trust because it monetizes aspects of the game previously accessible without additional costs.

YouTuber Bordeaux goes in depth on EA Sports College Football 27's 'micro transactions'

Read the full article ↗

Fox News

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.

Not for marketing. One email on launch day.