CAMPAIGN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does campaign mean? 

• CAMPAIGN (noun)
  The noun CAMPAIGN has 4 senses:

1. a race between candidates for elective office

2. a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end

3. several related operations aimed at achieving a particular goal (usually within geographical and temporal constraints)

4. an overland journey by hunters (especially in Africa)

  Familiarity information: CAMPAIGN used as a noun is uncommon.

• CAMPAIGN (verb)
  The verb CAMPAIGN has 3 senses:

1. run, stand, or compete for an office or a position

2. exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for

3. go on a campaign; go off to war

  Familiarity information: CAMPAIGN used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CAMPAIGN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A race between candidates for elective office

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

campaign; political campaign; run

Context example:

he is raising money for a Senate run

Hypernyms ("campaign" is a kind of...):

race (any competition)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "campaign"):

campaign for governor; governor's race (a race for election to the governorship)

senate campaign; senate race (a race for election to the senate)

Derivation:

campaign (run, stand, or compete for an office or a position)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

campaign; cause; crusade; drive; effort; movement

Context example:

contributed to the war effort

Hypernyms ("campaign" is a kind of...):

venture (any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "campaign"):

anti-war movement (a campaign against entering or continuing a war)

charm campaign (a campaign of flattery and friendliness (by a company, politician, etc.) to become more popular and gain support)

consumerism (a movement advocating greater protection of the interests of consumers)

campaigning; candidacy; candidature; electioneering; political campaign (the campaign of a candidate to be elected)

fund-raising campaign; fund-raising drive; fund-raising effort (a campaign to raise money for some cause)

feminism; feminist movement; women's lib; women's liberation movement (the movement aimed at equal rights for women)

gay lib; gay liberation movement (the movement aimed at liberating homosexuals from legal or social or economic oppression)

lost cause (a defeated cause or a cause for which defeat is inevitable)

reform (a campaign aimed to correct abuses or malpractices)

war (a concerted campaign to end something that is injurious)

youth crusade; youth movement (political or religious or social reform movement or agitation consisting chiefly of young people)

ad blitz; ad campaign; advertising campaign (an organized program of advertisements)

Derivation:

campaign (exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Several related operations aimed at achieving a particular goal (usually within geographical and temporal constraints)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

campaign; military campaign

Hypernyms ("campaign" is a kind of...):

military operation; operation (activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign))

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "campaign"):

expedition; hostile expedition; military expedition (a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country)

Instance hyponyms:

Dardanelles; Dardanelles campaign (the unsuccessful campaign in World War I (1915) by the English and French to open a passage for aid to Russia; defeated by the Turks)

Okinawa; Okinawa campaign (a campaign in the closing days of World War II in the Pacific (April to June 1945); in savage close-quarter fighting United States marines and regular army troops took the island from the Japanese; considered the greatest victory of the Pacific campaign for the Americans)

Petersburg; Petersburg Campaign (the final campaign of the American Civil War (1864-65); Union forces under Grant besieged and finally defeated Confederate forces under Lee)

Wilderness Campaign (American Civil War; a series of indecisive battles in Grant's campaign (1864) against Lee in which both armies suffered terrible losses)

Derivation:

campaign (go on a campaign; go off to war)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An overland journey by hunters (especially in Africa)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

campaign; hunting expedition; safari

Hypernyms ("campaign" is a kind of...):

expedition (a journey organized for a particular purpose)

Domain region:

Africa (the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean)

• CAMPAIGN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they campaign    ... he / she / it campaigns   
Past simple: campaigned   
Past participle: campaigned   
-ing form: campaigning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Run, stand, or compete for an office or a position

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

campaign; run

Context example:

Who's running for treasurer this year?

Hypernyms (to "campaign" is one way to...):

race; run (compete in a race)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "campaign"):

stump (travel through a district and make political speeches)

rerun (run again for office)

whistlestop (tour the country in order to solicit votes for an election)

cross-file; register (have one's name listed as a candidate for several parties)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

campaign (a race between candidates for elective office)

campaigner (a politician who is running for public office)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

agitate; campaign; crusade; fight; press; push

Context example:

The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate

Hypernyms (to "campaign" is one way to...):

advertise; advertize; promote; push (make publicity for; try to sell (a product))

Verb group:

advertise; advertize; promote; push (make publicity for; try to sell (a product))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

campaign (a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Go on a campaign; go off to war

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

campaign; take the field

"Campaign" entails doing...:

war (make or wage war)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "campaign"):

crusade (go on a crusade; fight a holy war)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

campaign (several related operations aimed at achieving a particular goal (usually within geographical and temporal constraints))

 Context examples 

In this location, the rover began its latest drilling campaign (on Sept. 9).

(Mars Rover Views Spectacular Layered Rock Formations, NASA)

"Remember, I've heard your campaign speeches," Martin warned.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

One key issue, which Medécins Sans Frontières-MSF has been campaigning on, is the need to manufacture more anti-venoms.

(Snakebite resolution set for Health Assembly approval, SciDev.Net)

This is the second consecutive year the UAVSAR team has conducted a campaign to study sites in Central and South America.

(NASA airborne research focuses on Andean volcanoes, NASA)

Don't you think that while we wait for reliable scientific conclusions, Europe could launch information campaigns and issue guidelines?

(Health threats caused by mobile phone radiation, EUROPARL TV)

It would be a great day to sign a contract, launch a product or service, or to start a publicity campaign.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

She said:—Promise me that you will not tell me anything of the plans formed for the campaign against the Count.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It was a blow, Baron—the worst setback in my whole campaign.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In what wildest one could I have conceived the nature of the campaign which it should be my lot to report!

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When I had listened to all they had to tell, I began to walk up and down near Briony Lodge once more, and to think over my plan of campaign.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)