# champaign

/tʃæmˈpeɪn/ (US) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/champaign
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a wide, open area of flat land without many trees or hills. It is an old word used to describe a large field or plain.

For teachers: An expanse of level, open country without hills or woods. Primarily found in historical or poetic descriptions of landscape.

## Examples

- The army marched across the vast, grassy champaign.
- From the castle tower, the knights could see for miles across the sun-drenched champaign.
- The poet describes the rolling champaign as a sea of gold, emphasizing the isolation of the rural estate from the crowded city centers.

## Pitfalls

- Not "We drank a bottle of champaign." but "We drank a bottle of champagne." — Learners often confuse the archaic word for a plain ('champaign') with the sparkling wine ('champagne').

## Usage notes

- Often used in the singular to describe a specific geographic region.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.