From Longman Business Dictionarycanvassingcan‧vas‧sing /ˈkænvəsɪŋ/ noun [uncountable]1MARKETINGthe activity of asking people about something in order to get their opinion or to get informationMembers of the Finance Houses Association should discourage intrusive methods of canvassing.2the activity of trying to persuade people to support someone or somethingThe election candidates have to learn the art of doorstep canvassing (=visiting people’s houses to get their support).
