campaign

1 of 2

noun

cam·paign (ˌ)kam-ˈpān

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

the bombing campaign

: 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

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

John Edwards had inevitable hair; his $1,250 haircut helped to sap his inevitability in the 2008 campaign.

Dan Zak, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2022 Rocky modeled alongside Rihanna in a campaign for her skincare line, Fenty Skin.

Samantha Olson, Seventeen, 14 Nov. 2022 Marks raised significantly more money than Bry in the campaign.

Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Nov. 2022 That dynamic is among the reasons that both candidates highlighted their moderate stances and bipartisan appeal in the campaign.

Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2022 The Tigers have allowed at least 21 points in more than five consecutive games twice – the final five games of the 2013 season and the first of the 2014 season and a seven-game stretch in the 2009 campaign.

Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 12 Nov. 2022 Now, Newsom and DeSantis appear poised to take their messages nationally — a competition that could clash in a presidential campaign.

Anthony Izaguirre, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Nov. 2022 Eritrean forces have since joined in the military campaign in Tigray on the side of the Ethiopian government.

CNN, 11 Nov. 2022 Also in the mix is the majority of the spring 1996 Miu Miu collection, for which Sevigny starred in the campaign.

Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2022

Verb

Its advocacy arm, Turning Point Action, organized under section 501(c)(4), is allowed to campaign provided that such activity is not its primary function, according to IRS regulations.

Richard Ruelas, The Arizona Republic, 17 Nov. 2022 Cleveland didn’t have to campaign very hard, easily winning his party’s nomination.

Time, 16 Nov. 2022 Republicans criticized Scott for releasing the plan that, though realistically in line with the GOP’s stance of cutting public benefits, allowed Democrats to readily campaign about such a risk.

Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 15 Nov. 2022 Anchorage’s vote-by-mail elections take several weeks for the municipal clerk’s office to prepare, run and then count, and any candidates would be left scrambling to campaign.

Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Nov. 2022 Democrats poured resources into Nevada's Senate race at the 11th hour, including by sending one of their most persuasive surrogates, former President Barack Obama, to campaign there.

Ella Lee And Emilee Miranda, USA TODAY, 13 Nov. 2022 Toi Hutchinson, the president and CEO of the Marijuana Policy Project, a nonprofit that has helped campaign on this issue around the country, said the split victories indicated changing views on cannabis.

Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2022 This time, he was recruited to run by the Chicago GOP, but entered the race after the June primary, giving him just 12 weeks to campaign while introducing himself for the first time as a Republican.

Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2022 Candidates for the state school board, which are nonpartisan, had to file to run for the seats Aug. 10, which left just a few months to campaign.

cleveland, 9 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'campaign.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

See more words from the same year