campaign

 
Pronunciation: /kamˈpeɪn/

noun

  • a series of military operations intended to achieve a goal, confined to a particular area, or involving a specified type of fighting: a desert campaign [mass noun]: the army set off on campaign
  • an organized course of action to achieve a goal: an election campaign the campaign for a full inquiry into the regime

verb

[no object]
  • work in an organized and active way towards a goal: people who campaigned against child labour [with infinitive]: the services he had campaigned to protect

Phrases

on the campaign trail

engaged in a political campaign: he has studiously avoided the subject on the campaign trail

Origin:

early 17th century (denoting a tract of open country): from French campagne 'open country', via Italian from late Latin campania, from campus 'level ground' (see camp1). The change in sense arose from an army's practice of ‘taking the field’ (i.e. moving from a fortress or town to open country) at the onset of summer

Spelling help

Remember that campaign ends with -aign.