campaign

1 of 2

noun

cam·​paign (ˌ)kam-ˈpān How to pronounce campaign (audio)
Synonyms of campaignnext
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

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Many business leaders craft mission statements to throw onto a wall or a PR campaign, but don’t apply them to everyday decision-making. — Quang X. Pham, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025 All have come in his last 24 games after two tennis elbow injuries delayed the start of the 35-year-old’s 16th big league campaign. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
Some citizens’ groups are campaigning against the bridge, calling it unnecessary, and environmental associations this week filed a complaint with the European Union, flagging serious environmental damage risks. — CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025 His chief of staff, Bill Lynch, had deliberately not asked Reverend Jesse Jackson to campaign with Dinkins for the first several months of the primary campaign out of fear that the charismatic Jackson would overshadow his candidate. — Jonathan Mahler, Curbed, 1 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

Phrases Containing campaign

Rhymes for campaign

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Browse Nearby Words

campagnol
campaign
campaign button
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Cite this Entry

“Campaign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/campaign. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

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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

Nglish: Translation of campaign for Spanish Speakers

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