camp meaning, definition, synonyms

Camp has several meanings in English. It can refer to a group of people, a place to stay temporarily, a military or refugee camp, or the act of setting up and living in temporary shelter. It also has less common figurative and adjectival uses.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Pronunciation

AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).

Accent: General American English

IPA: /kæmp/

Easy pronunciation: KAMP (approximate spelling).

Stress: One syllable, with the vowel stressed.

Noun meaning an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Camp Meaning

a group of people who stay closely connected and often share the same interests or goals

Part of speech: noun

Definition: an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose

Example: She moved in the same camp as the company’s top executives.

Synonyms for this meaning:

clique — A small exclusive group, often with a negative tone.
coterie — A small, close group of people with shared interests.
ingroup — The members of a group who are considered part of the inside circle.
inner circle — The most trusted or influential group within a larger one.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Other Meanings of Camp

Meaning 2

to set up camp and stay somewhere temporarily

Part of speech: verb

Definition: establish or set up a camp

Example: We camped near the lake for the weekend.

Synonyms for this meaning:

camp down — Can work in this sense, though it is less common.

Meaning 3

a place where children stay for activities during summer

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a site where care and activities are provided for children during the summer months

Example: My daughter is at summer camp this week.

Synonyms for this meaning:

summer camp — The usual phrase for this kind of place.

Meaning 4

a place where refugees or displaced people live temporarily

Part of speech: noun

Definition: shelter for persons displaced by war or political oppression or for religious beliefs

Example: Thousands of families were forced into a refugee camp.

Synonyms for this meaning:

refugee camp — The common term for this type of camp.

Meaning 5

a military area where soldiers live temporarily

Part of speech: noun

Definition: temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

Example: The troops returned to camp after training.

Synonyms for this meaning:

bivouac — A temporary military shelter or camp; narrower than the general term.
cantonment — A military camp or station; formal and less common.
encampment — A place where people, especially soldiers, are camped.

Meaning 6

to stay outdoors in a tent or similar shelter

Part of speech: verb

Definition: live in or as if in a tent

Example: We camped by the river for two nights.

Synonyms for this meaning:

bivouac — To camp outdoors, especially in a temporary shelter.
camp out — A common phrase meaning to sleep or stay outside temporarily.
encamp — A formal verb meaning to set up camp and stay somewhere.
tent — Can mean to live in a tent, though it is less direct and less common than the others.

Meaning 7

deliberately exaggerated, silly, or flashy in an entertaining way

Part of speech: adjective

Definition: providing sophisticated amusement by virtue of having artificially (and vulgarly) mannered or banal or sentimental qualities

Example: The movie has a wonderfully camp style.

Synonyms for this meaning:

campy — The standard adjective form.

Meaning 8

the people staying in a camp together

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a group of people living together in a camp

Example: The whole camp was awake before sunrise.

Meaning 9

a prison-like place where people are held, often for forced labor

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a penal institution (often for forced labor)

Example: He spent years in a labor camp.

Meaning 10

to make something seem deliberately camp or exaggerated

Part of speech: verb

Definition: give an artificially banal or sexual quality to

Example: The designers camped up the show for maximum effect.

Meaning 11

something entertaining because it is so exaggerated or old-fashioned

Part of speech: noun

Definition: something that is considered amusing not because of its originality but because of its unoriginality

Example: The whole performance was pure camp.

Meaning 12

simple temporary accommodation for travelers

Part of speech: noun

Definition: temporary lodgings in the country for travelers or vacationers

Example: We spent the night at a roadside camp.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Camp Synonyms

Similar Meaning

clique
coterie
ingroup
inner circle

verb: establish or set up a camp

camp down

noun: a site for children’s summer activities

summer camp

noun: shelter for displaced people

refugee camp

noun: military living quarters

bivouac
cantonment
encampment

verb: live in or as if in a tent

bivouac
camp out
encamp
tent

adjective: deliberately exaggerated or mannered

campy

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Common Mistakes

Confusing noun camp with the verb camp.
Using campy as a noun synonym for the adjective camp.
Mixing up camp as a military/refugee place with camp as a social group.
Assuming camp always means outdoor recreation; it can also mean a clique or an exaggerated style.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does camp mean in English?

Camp can mean a close social group, a temporary place to stay, a military or refugee site, or the act of staying in a tent or other temporary shelter.

What is the most common meaning of camp?

The most common everyday use is probably the verb meaning to stay outdoors temporarily, or the noun meaning a place for children or vacationers, depending on context. In the lexical data provided, the social-group sense is treated as the primary sense for synonym matching.

What are the best synonyms for camp?

For the primary social-group sense, the best synonyms are clique, coterie, ingroup, and inner circle. Other senses have different synonyms, such as camp out, encampment, or campy.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.