What does campout mean?
A campout is an occasion of camping outdoors — typically an overnight or weekend stay in a tent, cabin, or under the open sky, undertaken for recreation rather than necessity. The noun is informal and particularly common in North American English, where it often names organized events such as scout outings, family trips, or church-group retreats, as well as casual adventures like children camping in the backyard. Because it denotes an event rather than the general activity, speakers distinguish a single campout from 'camping' more broadly: you might love camping yet remember one disastrous campout above all the others. The word carries warm, wholesome connotations of campfires, marshmallows, and fresh air, making it a fixture of childhood memory and community life. It derives simply from 'camp', which traces back through Latin campus, meaning an open field.
nounAn instance of camping outdoors for one or more nights, typically as a recreational activity; a stay at a campsite or in tents.
- A recreational trip involving sleeping outdoors in a tent or under the stars.
- (Informal, especially among children) A night spent camping, even in a garden or backyard.
"The scouts spent the weekend on a campout by the lake."
"Our troop's spring campout got rained out, so we slept in the lodge instead."
"The twins begged for a backyard campout with s'mores and flashlights."
Standard regular plural, used when referring to multiple occasions of camping.
"Some of my favorite childhood memories are of summer campouts at my grandparents' farm."
A backyard campout counts just as much as one in the wilderness — the word was practically made for kids pitching a tent ten steps from their own back door.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of campout
Campout is a compound of 'camp' and the adverbial particle 'out', formed in English to denote an outing spent at a camp. The root word 'camp' descends from Latin campus, meaning an open field or plain, which also gave English words such as 'campaign', 'champion', and 'campus'. The compound arose in modern English, most naturally within American usage where organized outdoor recreation became widespread.
How campout is actually used
The word is informal and especially common in North American English, often used for organized group events such as scout or family camping trips. It is almost always countable and frequently modified ('overnight campout', 'backyard campout').
Easily confused with campout
Camping is the general activity of staying outdoors in a tent or camper, while a campout refers to a specific occasion or event of doing so.