boot camp
noun
1
: a navy or marine corps camp for basic training
2
: a disciplinary facility or program in which young offenders are forced to participate in a rigidly structured routine
3
: a place or undertaking that resembles a military boot camp especially by requiring one to endure intensive training or initiation
Nowadays, the more talented players view their college years as necessary boot camp to prepare them for the riches waiting for them in pro football.—
Anson Mount
Anson MountThese youngsters are put through what amounts to a boot camp of courses in music notation, basic harmony and ear-training.—Smithsonian
SmithsonianExamples of boot camp in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At Chico State, Matthew Hernandez, a senior computer science major, enrolled in both a computer science boot camp, funded through Destino, and a calculus boot camp in the summer before his freshman year.
—Olivia Sanchez, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Crawford feels confident, too, after the defensive boot camp with Davis.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Intuit runs a multi-week onboarding boot camp to get them up to speed and address those gaps.
—John Kell, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
He was chosen for his specialty during boot camp at Parris Island after a sergeant noticed drafting was on his enlistment papers.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for boot camp
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Olivia Sanchez, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Crawford feels confident, too, after the defensive boot camp with Davis.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Intuit runs a multi-week onboarding boot camp to get them up to speed and address those gaps.
—John Kell, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
He was chosen for his specialty during boot camp at Parris Island after a sergeant noticed drafting was on his enlistment papers.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for boot camp
Cite this Entry
“Boot camp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boot%20camp. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
