campaign
B1Neutral to formal. Common in news, politics, business, and military contexts.
Definition
Meaning
An organised series of actions or activities intended to achieve a particular social, commercial, or political goal.
A planned set of military operations; more broadly, any sustained effort over a period.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Conveys a sense of strategy, duration, and deliberate effort. Often implies persuasion, promotion, or combat.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Primarily lexical (e.g., 'rubbish collection' vs 'garbage collection' in marketing contexts). The verb 'to campaign' is used identically.
Connotations
Similar in both variants, though 'political campaign' carries stronger US associations due to media prominence.
Frequency
Comparatively high frequency in both, with significant usage in politics and marketing.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
campaign for/against [NOUN/PRONOUN]campaign to [VERB]launch/run/wage a campaign [to/against/for]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on the campaign trail”
- “whispering campaign”
- “smear campaign”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to coordinated promotional activities (e.g., 'The Q4 ad campaign boosted sales').
Academic
Used in history (military campaigns), political science, and media studies.
Everyday
Common in news about politics, charities, or social issues (e.g., 'a campaign to clean up the park').
Technical
In computing, can refer to a series of coordinated emails or ads (e.g., 'email campaign').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She campaigned tirelessly for better rubbish collection services.
- Activists are campaigning to save the local library.
American English
- He campaigned hard for garbage collection reform.
- The group is campaigning to save the neighborhood park.
adverb
British English
- This is not standard. 'Campaign' is not used as an adverb.
American English
- This is not standard. 'Campaign' is not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- Campaign literature was distributed throughout the constituency.
- They reviewed the campaign strategy.
American English
- Campaign ads flooded the airwaves.
- The campaign headquarters was bustling.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The school started a campaign for recycling.
- Our campaign to collect toys was successful.
- The charity's campaign raised a lot of money.
- The new advertising campaign is on TV and online.
- She decided to campaign for a seat on the local council.
- The military campaign lasted several months.
- His grassroots campaign effectively mobilized young voters.
- The smear campaign backfired, damaging the instigator's credibility.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CAMPAIGN as a CAMp where you PLAN to win – it's a planned series of actions.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICS/ADVERTISING IS WAR (e.g., 'target voters', 'launch an offensive', 'campaign strategy').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'кампания' for a one-time event or trip; it implies a series. Do not confuse with 'camp' (лагерь).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'campaign' for a single advertisement or event. Incorrect preposition: 'campaign of doing something' instead of 'campaign to do something'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'campaign' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A campaign specifically aims to persuade, promote, or achieve a goal through coordinated activities, often with a public or competitive element. A project is a broader term for any planned undertaking, which may be internal or technical.
Yes, 'to campaign' means to work in an organised and active way towards a goal, typically a political or social one (e.g., 'She campaigned for human rights').
No, it is widely used in marketing, advertising, social activism, and military contexts. Any organised, strategic effort over time can be a campaign.
'For' (supporting something) and 'against' (opposing something) are most common (e.g., 'campaign for change', 'campaign against pollution'). 'To' + infinitive is also frequent (e.g., 'campaign to save the hospital').
Collections
Part of a collection
Environment
B1 · 47 words · Nature, ecology and environmental issues.
Media and Communication
B1 · 50 words · Language for discussing media and communication.