campaign

1 of 2

noun

cam·​paign (ˌ)kam-ˈpān 

1

: a connected series of military operations forming a distinct phase of a war

the bombing campaign

2

: a connected series of operations designed to bring about a particular result

election campaign

an advertising campaign

campaign

2 of 2

verb

campaigned; campaigning; campaigns

intransitive verb

: to go on, engage in, or conduct a campaign

campaigned for the presidency

transitive verb

: to enter (something, such as a horse or boat) in competition

was at that time campaigning a big steeplechase stable

—A. H. Higginson

campaigner noun

Synonyms

Noun

• bandwagon
• blitz
• cause
• crusade
• drive
• juggernaut
• movement
• push

Examples of campaign in a Sentence

Noun

The group launched a campaign to protect the area from commercial development.

The university is organizing a campaign to attract a more diverse student population.

Verb

She campaigned to save the town library.

He campaigned hard to get more funding.

a time when women were campaigning for the right to vote

I campaigned for her when she ran for governor.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Reminding students to stay skeptical about the provenance of a picture and the origins of a provocative fact while pointing them to authoritative sources will diminish the potency of disinformation campaigns. —Meg Little Reilly, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Trump’s campaign account on X, dubbed @TrumpWarRoom, pushes out promotional video clips day in and day out. —Brian Stelter, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024

Verb

Cheney’s daughter, former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, also endorsed Harris, 60, and has campaigned with the vice president. —Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris is campaigning in Michigan alongside her running mate Tim Walz Monday. —Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French campagne, probably from Italian campagna level country, campaign, from Late Latin campania level country, from Latin, the level country around Naples

Verb

derivative of campaign entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1692, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing campaign

• campaign button
• campaign for
• campaign trail
• counter-campaign
• whispering campaign

Kids Definition

campaign

noun

cam·​paign

kam-ˈpān

1

: a series of military operations in a particular area or for a particular purpose as part of a war

2

: a connected series of activities designed to bring about a particular result

an election campaign

campaign verb

campaigner noun