VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

set camp

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌset ˈkæmp/
US/ˌset ˈkæmp/

Meanings

  1. phraseidiom

    To put up tents or arrange a place to sleep outdoors for a time.

    Grammar: Used as a verb phrase with no object: "We set camp by the lake." You can also say "set up camp," which is more common in speech.

    Patterns

    • set camp near/in/at a place
    • set camp for the night
    • set up camp

    We set camp beside the river and cooked dinner over a small fire.

    The hikers set camp early because a storm was coming.

    They set up camp in a field behind the farm.

  2. phraseidiomfigurative

    To stay somewhere for a period, often in a way that blocks or occupies a place.

    Grammar: Often used figuratively about people who settle in one spot and refuse to move: "Reporters set camp outside the court."

    Patterns

    • set camp outside/in front of a place
    • set camp in a place

    Reporters set camp outside the courthouse and waited for news.

    Protesters set camp in the square for several weeks.

Common combinations

set camp for the night
We found a flat spot and set camp for the night.
set camp near a river
They set camp near a river so they could wash.
set up camp
It took an hour to set up camp in the rain.
break camp
At dawn we broke camp and walked on.
make camp
The soldiers made camp at the edge of the forest.

Synonyms and how they differ

pitch camp
Slightly more formal and common in British writing; it means the same as set camp.
make camp
Sounds a little old-fashioned or literary, and often suggests stopping for the night.
set up camp
The most common spoken form; it can also be used figuratively for settling in somewhere.

Opposites

break camp

Word family

camper noun
A person who camps, or a vehicle with living space for camping.
camping noun
The activity of sleeping outdoors in a tent.
campsite noun
A place where people are allowed to camp.
encamp verb
A formal or military word meaning to settle in a camp.

Commonly confused: set camp or set up camp? set camp or camp?

set camp vs set up camp

This is the usual spoken phrase; "set camp" is correct but sounds more like travel writing.

set camp vs camp

As a verb, "camp" means to sleep outdoors; "set camp" focuses on the act of arranging the tents and the spot.

Practice

Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “set camp”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words