encampment
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of encamping; lodgment in a camp.
-
the place or quarters occupied in camping; camp.
noun
-
the act of setting up a camp
-
the place where a camp, esp a military camp, is set up
Etymology
Origin of encampment
Explanation
An encampment is a temporary area made up of tents or other makeshift shelters set up by campers, soldiers, or people without permanent homes. An encampment can provide shelter, community, and a base of operations, whether for recreation, protest, or military purposes. Encampments may pop up when people are displaced by war, natural disasters, or other hardships. Sometimes people create an encampment at a music festival or during a protest so that there is a place to stay and rest without having to leave the area.
Vocabulary lists containing encampment
Road Home
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Kindling
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Novel Study: The Grapes of Wrath, Chapters 13–21
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The county said they congregated around a homeless encampment and that “they were also going on private property and impeding work at the oil field.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Clashes quickly broke out as dozens of officers moved in on an encampment in Lisbon's Rossio Square and a smaller camp in Porto's Dom Joao I Square at around 4:30 am.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
In Madrid, an encampment of tents has occupied a city-centre square since late September.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
If built, a wire-fenced encampment a 15-minute walk from the village will become home to the asylum seekers, who would be free to come and go as they please.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Henry asks, about forty-five minutes past the homeless encampment.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
![]()
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.