camp

camp — noun

1. an outdoor spot with tents or simple shelters that people use as a temporary hom

1.nounB1
Definition

an outdoor spot with tents or simple shelters that people use as a temporary home for a short period, typically for leisure or during a trip

Example

The scout troop set up their camp near a small lake in the forest.

collocation: set up camp

We stayed at a beach camp with wooden cabins and a shared kitchen.

uncountable: at camp

Common collocations
  • set up camp
  • break camp
  • make camp
  • in camp
  • at camp
  • base camp
  • summer camp
  • holiday camp
Synonyms
  • campsite

    specifically the piece of ground where you pitch a tent, rather than the whole facility

  • encampment

    more formal or literary; often suggests a larger or more organised group of shelters

Grammar Patterns

at camp

in camp

Usage Note

Can be countable (a camp / camps) or uncountable (at camp / in camp). Uncountable use is common after prepositions: 'We stayed in camp all week.'

Common Mistakes

We made a campfire at the campment.
We made a campfire at the camp.
'campment' is not a standard English word; use 'camp'.

2. a fenced area with basic shelters that holds people for a length of time, often

2.nounB2
Definition

a fenced area with basic shelters that holds people for a length of time, often set up by a government during conflicts or as a form of punishment

Example

The UN sent food and medicine to the refugee camp near the border.

collocation: refugee camp

Thousands live in the camp, waiting to move to a safer country.

Common collocations
  • refugee camp
  • labour camp
  • prison camp
  • detention camp
  • internment camp
  • in a camp
  • escape from a camp
Synonyms
  • compound

    an enclosed area with buildings, often more permanent and not always for displaced people

  • enclosure

    focuses on the physical fence or boundary rather than the purpose

Grammar Patterns

in a camp

at a camp

Usage Note

Usually countable and often preceded by a modifier such as 'refugee', 'labour', 'prison', or 'detention'. The noun alone ('a camp') may be ambiguous; the modifier is needed to make the type clear.

Common Mistakes

The war made many people move to refuges.
The war made many people move to refugee camps.
'refuge' means a safe place, not a temporary shelter area.

3. temporary housing for troops who are doing military exercises or engaged in comb

3.nounB2
Definition

temporary housing for troops who are doing military exercises or engaged in combat, usually made of tents or simple structures

Example

The soldiers marched back to camp after a long day of training exercises.

uncountable: back to camp

General Okonkwo ordered the troops to set up a forward camp near the river crossing.

Common collocations
  • military camp
  • army camp
  • training camp
  • base camp
  • set up camp
  • break camp
  • return to camp
  • in camp
Synonyms
  • barracks

    permanent military housing, not temporary structures

  • base

    a larger, more permanent military installation with more facilities

  • garrison

    the troops stationed at a place, or the place itself; more formal

Grammar Patterns

in camp

at camp

Usage Note

Uncountable use is common after prepositions ('in camp', 'to camp', 'at camp') when referring to camp life generally rather than a specific camp facility.

4. people united by a shared position on an issue, particularly in politics, who te

4.nounB2
Definition

people united by a shared position on an issue, particularly in politics, who tend to hold that view as a group

Example

The liberal camp strongly opposed the new tax bill in parliament.

modifier + camp for political group

Within the party, two camps have formed over how to handle climate policy.

Common collocations
  • liberal camp
  • conservative camp
  • opposing camp
  • political camp
  • ideological camp
Synonyms
  • faction

    implies a smaller, more tightly organised subgroup, often with internal conflict

  • side

    more general; can be just one person vs another without a group structure

  • bloc

    used especially for voting groups in politics, often across countries

Grammar Patterns

the [adjective] camp

camp of [opinion]

Usage Note

Nearly always takes a modifier (e.g., 'liberal camp', 'conservative camp') or a relative clause ('the camp that…'). The modifier tells the reader which position the group supports.

Common Mistakes

There is a camp of people who think this.
There is a camp that thinks this.
drop 'of people'; 'camp' already implies a group.

5. a holiday programme for young people that includes sports, crafts, and other gro

5.nounA2
Definition

a holiday programme for young people that includes sports, crafts, and other group activities, usually held during the summer break and often involving overnight stays

Example

Leila is going to a music camp for two weeks this July.

The children spent their summer at a beach camp, learning to swim and sail.

uncountable: at camp

Common collocations
  • summer camp
  • day camp
  • sleepaway camp
  • go to camp
  • at camp
  • camp counselor
  • camp activities
  • music camp
  • sports camp
Synonyms
  • summer programme

    broader term that may include non-overnight activities without the traditional camp setting

Grammar Patterns

at camp

go to camp

summer camp

Usage Note

Uncountable ('at camp', 'go to camp') is very common in American English to refer to the general experience. Countable ('a camp') refers to a specific facility or programme. This sense is more common in American English than British English.

Common Mistakes

I went to a camping in the summer when I was a kid.
I went to camp in the summer when I was a kid.
'camping' is the activity; 'camp' is the place/programme.
Idioms

have/keep a foot in both camps

idiom

To be connected with two opposing groups at the same time.

Maya kept a foot in both camps during the office dispute.

Diego had a foot in both camps, working for two rival companies.

camp — verb

camp — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe places where people stay outdoors, but they differ in scope and formality. A 'campsite' is the specific spot where a tent is pitched, often a marked area in a campground — you reserve a campsite, not a camp. 'Encampment' is more formal or literary and suggests a larger group of tents, often military or temporary housing. 'Base' implies a more permanent facility with logistical support; it is used by soldiers, scientists, or explorers. For example: 'We found a nice campsite by the stream.' vs. 'The army set up an encampment on the hill.' vs. 'The research base in Antarctica has electricity all year.'

campsite ↗encampmentbase ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • set up camp
  • break camp
  • strike camp
  • make camp
  • return to camp
  • in camp
  • at camp
  • go camping
  • pitch a tent

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'campus' meaning 'field' or 'open land'. The word passed through Old French 'camp' (battlefield) into English in the 1500s, first referring to a military field encampment. By the 1800s it had broadened to include holiday tent stays, summer programmes for children, and, figuratively, any group sharing a position. The adjective sense for 'exaggerated, theatrical style' emerged in 1900s theatrical slang, possibly from French 'se camper' (to strike a pose).