campaign

1 of 3

noun (1)

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 3

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

campaigner

3 of 3

noun (2)

cam·​paign·​er

(ˌ)kam-ˈpā-nər

plural -s

1

: one that goes on, engages in, or conducts a campaign

an effective campaigner for slum clearance

2

: one that has taken part in many campaigns

especially : a veteran in any field or vocation

that stout, battle-scarred old campaigner

—Frank Yerby

Synonyms of campaign

Noun (1)

• movement
• crusade
• push

Examples of campaign in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

Steyer's campaign alone spent more than $200 million and accounted for 64% of every dollar spent on the race, AdImpact noted. —Terry Collins, USA Today, 10 June 2026

Last November in Tirana, during a trip where England completed a flawless qualification campaign with a 2-0 win against Albania, Tuchel was asked to reflect on his time with England. —Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 June 2026

Verb

Becerra was back in Sacramento campaigning for two congressional candidates and was invited to a nonpolitical reception. —George Skelton, Mercury News, 10 June 2026

There are seven Republicans who are actively campaigning and five Democrats on the ballot for their parties' nominations. —Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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 (1)

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

Rhymes for campaign

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• cetane

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