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
In the same interview on Sunday, Raskin implored his Democratic colleagues to make their opposition to Trump part of the 2026 midterm election campaigns. Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 13 July 2025 This campaign highlights five different waterfalls that are accessible to all, but my personal favorite is Cummins Falls. Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2025
Verb
Ramaswamy is campaigning on making Ohio the best state in the nation, not only the best state in the Midwest. Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 14 July 2025 Coming from Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north, Buhari campaigned on promises to eliminate extremist violence, particularly from Boko Haram, and to combat the rampant corruption that had plagued Africa's largest economy. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 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 18 Jul. 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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