cam·paign

[kam-peyn]
noun
1.
Military.
a.
military operations for a specific objective.
b.
Obsolete. the military operations of an army in the field for one season.
2.
a systematic course of aggressive activities for some specific purpose: a sales campaign.
3.
the competition by rival political candidates and organizations for public office.
verb (used without object)
4.
to serve in or go on a campaign: He planned to campaign for the candidate. He campaigned in France.
verb (used with object)
5.
to race (a horse, boat, car, etc.) in a number or series of competitions.
Origin:
1620–30; < French campagne < Italian campagna < Late Latin campānia level district, equivalent to Latin camp(us) field + -ān(us) -an + -ia -ia

Related forms
cam·paign·er, noun
coun·ter·cam·paign, noun
pre·cam·paign, noun, adjective
re·cam·paign, verb
un·cam·paign·ing, adjective

Synonyms
2. drive, effort, push, offensive.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Campaign is one of our favorite verbs.
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to spend time idly; loaf.
to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
campaign (kæmˈpeɪn) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a series of coordinated activities, such as public speaking and demonstrating, designed to achieve a social, political, or commercial goal: a presidential campaign; an advertising campaign
2.  military a number of complementary operations aimed at achieving a single objective, usually constrained by time or geographic area
 
—vb (often foll by for)
3.  to conduct, serve in, or go on a campaign
 
[C17: from French campagne open country, from Italian campagna, from Late Latin campānia, from Latin campus field]
 
cam'paigner
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

campaign
1640s, "operation of an army in the field," from Fr. campagne "campaign," lit. "open country," from O.Fr. champagne "open country" (suited to military maneuvers), from L.L. campania "level country" (cf. It. campagna, Sp. campaña, Port. campanha), from L. campus "a field" (see
campus). Old armies spent winters in quarters and took to the "open field" to seek battle in summer. Extension of meaning from military to political is Amer.Eng. 1809. The verb is first attested 1701. Related: Campaigned; campaigning.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
The theme of those events has moved from more general topics, such as running a
  political campaign, to debates on specific issues.
Our political cartoonist casts his eye towards the presidential campaign.
Adding to this have been the many campaign ads attacking big government that
  have filled the airwaves as the election approaches.
His campaign dwells on the plight of the poor and the gap between haves and
  have-nots.
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