campus

American  

[kam-puhs] / ˈkæm pəs /

noun

campuses plural

1. the grounds, often including the buildings, of a college, university, or school.

2. a college or university.

   The large influx of older students radically changed many campuses throughout the country.

3. a division of a university that has its own grounds, buildings, and faculty but is administratively joined to the rest of the university.

4. the world of higher education.

   Foundation grants have had a marked effect on the character of the American campus.

5. a large, usually suburban, landscaped business or industrial site.

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campus British  

/ ˈkæmpəs /

noun

1. the grounds and buildings of a university

2. the outside area of a college, university, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intercampus
  adjective
• noncampus
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• campuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of campus

1765–75, < Latin: flat place, field, plain

Explanation

The land and various buildings that make up a college are its campus. If you live on campus, you'll be close to your classes. When you hear the word campus, you generally think of a college or university, which include libraries and labs and classrooms and dormitories, all of which make up a campus. Other institutions, including hospitals, high schools, and some companies' office buildings, also have campuses. The word campus is Latin for "a field" or "an expanse surrounded."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

campus campuses

We have over 600 student athletes on campus, and only 20 or 30 of them are benefiting from this new model.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Robinson showed up three-and-a-half hours north that day at Utah Valley University campus in Orem, prosecutors said.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Mr. Musk wrote a blurb for “Suicidal Empathy,” and his endorsement made the outspoken Mr. Saad even more reviled on campus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Work to prepare the campus for the Olympics will begin in January.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

“According to this, the Asgard campus is this way,” he said, pointing down the street.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Architects plan data centers to resemble tech campuses or art museums, rather than bland boxes, in an effort to soothe local opposition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

It is drawing up plans for data centers that look more like Silicon Valley tech campuses or art museums, rather than windowless rectangles that neighbors often grouse about resembling prisons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Advanced-manufacturing campuses and data centers require capital commitments in the billions of dollars.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

They also cited such concerns as the high number of student absences and graduation rates that trailed nearby campuses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

On the map, the school campuses appeared as thousands of identical numbered rectangles dotting the planet’s surface.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• dorm
• square