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
Noun
China hawks have also warned that the app’s popularity among young Americans gives the ruling Chinese Communist Party a platform for a mass influence campaign. Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2024 Those figures do not include money spent on public relations campaigns and at the state level. Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Moscow’s popular mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, was the nominee for Putin’s United Russia party in his reelection campaign last year, despite running as an independent before — a move interpreted by critics as designed to stunt his political growth in a city where the ruling party is less popular. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 While Black voters are unlikely to support Trump in significant numbers in November, a lack of turnout could prove just as fatal for Biden's reelection campaign. Joey Cappelletti, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 This year’s presidential campaign, however, is more likely to hinge on the narcissism of small differences. Noah Rothman, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024 Some Republicans also voted for the infrastructure law Hovde’s campaign mentioned. Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2024 Fronting the campaign is Imaan Hammam, who was in attendance at last night's cocktail fete, which featured a full spread of Indian delights. Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024 Shootings, robberies and homicides dropped by double digits in the district last year, according to figures from her campaign. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
TikTok unleashed a sprawling attempt to thwart the bill, urging its users to blanket Congress with calls and dispatching CEO Shou Zi Chew to campaign on the Hill. Aaron Schaffer, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 His advisers see investing in historically Black colleges and universities, forgiving $138 billion in student loans and expanding Pell grants as concrete accomplishments to campaign on. Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Before now, Moreno had campaigned with surrogates of the former president, including Donald Trump Jr. and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2024 Ahead of Tuesday's primary in a crucial general election battleground, President Biden and former President Trump both campaigned in Georgia Saturday night, a state that in the last presidential race went blue for the first time in nearly 30 years. CBS News, 10 Mar. 2024 Palmer's campaign says American Samoa isn't the only place he's been campaigning in the Pacific. Bill Chappell, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Porter, to her credit, ended the shadow campaigning by declaring her candidacy weeks before Feinstein announced plans to step down after her sixth term. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Biden has promised to improve access to firearms data, campaigning in 2020 on his intent to repeal provisions like Tiahrt as part of his agenda to crack down on the nation’s gun violence epidemic. Emma Tucker, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 But in November, the president told supporters at a top-dollar fundraiser in Pinecrest to campaign to win because Florida is still in play. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'campaign.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

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

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1656, 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 circa 1656

Dictionary Entries Near campaign

Cite this Entry

“Campaign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/campaign. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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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