campaign

1 of 2

noun

cam·​paign (ˌ)kam-ˈpān How to pronounce campaign (audio)
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 stableA. H. Higginson
campaigner noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Update, Monday August 18, 2025: This article has been updated with details on Google AI cloud services and the final pre-launch moments of the Pixel 10 marketing campaign. Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025 At one point, Trump pointed to a portrait depicting his assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, during the 2024 presidential campaign. Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
President Trump campaigned on a promise of mass deportations, focusing on the danger of immigrants with criminal records. Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025 Merola, the Bronx District Attorney, campaigned energetically against landlords. Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for campaign

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of campaign was in 1645

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Campaign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/campaign. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on campaign

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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