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campaign

Pronunciation: /kamˈpeɪn/

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Definition of campaign

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.

campaign in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of campaign in the US English dictionary

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