campaigning

campaigning — verb

1. To take part in a planned series of actions, such as meeting people, giving spee

1.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

To take part in a planned series of actions, such as meeting people, giving speeches, or using the media, with the goal of bringing about political or social change or winning an election.

Example

Ishaan campaigned for cleaner drinking water in his town for over a year.

campaign + for + noun phrase

The group is campaigning against the new law that would reduce school funding.

campaign + against + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • campaign for
  • campaign against
  • campaign to
  • campaign tirelessly
  • campaign actively
  • campaign on behalf of
Synonyms
  • lobby

    more specific — trying to influence decision-makers directly, often through meetings or pressure

  • push for

    less formal; describes active effort but without the organized structure of a campaign

  • advocate

    broader; can mean speaking in favour of something without a planned series of actions

Grammar Patterns

campaign + for/against + noun phrase

campaign + to-infinitive

Usage Note

This sense is nearly always used with a preposition (for, against) or a to-infinitive that names the goal. It is not followed by a direct object — you campaign for something, not campaign something.

Common Mistakes

They campaigned the new policy.
They campaigned for the new policy.
campaign in this sense needs a preposition before the goal.
She campaigned him to vote for her.
She campaigned for his vote.' or 'She campaigned to win his vote.
you campaign for a cause or to achieve something, not a person directly.

2. To register and manage the participation of an animal, vehicle, or vessel in a s

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

To register and manage the participation of an animal, vehicle, or vessel in a sporting competition.

Example

The Tanaka family campaigned their horse in three major races last season.

campaign + noun + in + competition

Adina campaigns her sailing boat in summer regattas along the coast.

Common collocations
  • campaign a horse
  • campaign a boat
  • campaign a car
  • campaign in a race
Synonyms
  • enter

    more common and general; does not imply managing the competitor's participation throughout the event

  • run

    used for horses and dogs; more conversational

Grammar Patterns

campaign + noun (horse/boat/car) + in + competition

Usage Note

This sense is specific to sports and competitive events. The object is always the competitor (horse, boat, car, etc.), not the owner or handler. It is less common than sense 1 and may sound technical outside of racing circles.

Common Mistakes

They campaigned a new athlete in the competition.
They campaigned a new horse in the race.
this sense is used for animals, vehicles, and vessels, not for human athletes.

campaigning — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words involve trying to achieve a goal through persuasion, but they differ in scope and method. To campaign (verb/1) means taking part in a planned, often public series of actions over time — giving speeches, meeting people, using media — to bring about political or social change. To lobby focuses specifically on influencing lawmakers or people in power, often through private meetings or paid professionals. To push for is less formal and less structured; you can push for a change at work or in your community without organizing a campaign. To advocate is broader still — it means speaking or writing in favour of a cause, but without necessarily planning events or actions. For example: a group campaigning for climate action might lobby the city council, push for new recycling rules at their school, and advocate for policy changes in local news articles.

lobby ↗push for ↗advocate ↗canvass

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

The word campaigning comes from campaign, which entered English in the mid-1700s from French campagne, meaning open countryside or a military expedition. The military sense — a series of operations in a war — was the first use in English. By the early 1800s, the word was borrowed into politics to describe a planned series of actions to win an election or achieve a goal. Campaigning, as the gerund form, appeared soon after to name the activity itself.