campaign

American  

[kam-peyn] / kæmˈpeɪn /

noun

1. the competition by rival political candidates and organizations for public office.

2. a systematic course of aggressive activities for some specific purpose.

   a sales campaign.

   Synonyms:

   offensive , push , effort , drive

3. Military.

   1. military operations for a specific objective.

   2. Obsolete.  the military operations of an army in the field for one season.

4. a story in a role-playing game, spread out over multiple play sessions, that usually keeps the same plot, setting, or main characters.

   Last week we finished our campaign and I already miss it.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to serve in or go on a campaign.

   He planned to campaign for the candidate.

   My daughter has been campaigning for a later curfew for months.

verb (used with object)

1. to race (a horse, boat, car, etc.) in a number or series of competitions.

campaign British  

/ kæmˈpeɪn /

noun

1. a series of coordinated activities, such as public speaking and demonstrating, designed to achieve a social, political, or commercial goal

   a presidential campaign

   an advertising campaign

2. military a number of complementary operations aimed at achieving a single objective, usually constrained by time or geographic area

---

verb

1. to conduct, serve in, or go on a campaign

Other Word Forms

• campaigner noun
• countercampaign noun
• precampaign noun
• recampaign verb
• uncampaigning adjective

Etymology

Origin of campaign

First recorded in 1620–30; from French campagne, from Italian campagna, from Late Latin campānia “level district,” equivalent to Latin camp(us) “field” + -ān(us) -an + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

“Chain of Fire” follows these sporadic colonial campaigns through the firsthand accounts of participants.

From The Wall Street Journal

At the same time, the administration’s apparent tolerance for patient self-determination was a hard-won result of the patient campaign to change Carville’s institutional culture from that of a hospital to a community.

From Salon

China has built commercial ports around Africa, part of its vast infrastructure-building campaign.

From The Wall Street Journal

The recent tragedy came as the Hong Kong government has been campaigning to boost turnout for a legislative council election scheduled for Dec. 7.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jack's family have been campaigning to raise awareness about the risks of swimming in cold, open water and are raising funds for a youth club in his name.

From BBC

Related Words

• crusade
• drive
• fight
• movement
• offensive
• operation
• push