strategist
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of strategist
First recorded in 1830–40; strateg(y) + -ist
Compare meaning
How does strategist compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
That guy who's really good at making a detailed plan for winning at Monopoly? He's a strategist, or an expert at strategy, or planning. The noun strategist is most commonly used to talk about military people who plan wars, but it's useful whenever you mention someone who is particularly good at making a plan in any kind of complex situation. A coach acts as a strategist when she makes a plan to help her team win the game. A busy mom could also be called a strategist when she has a system for getting a bunch of kids fed, clothed, and out the door to school on time.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"They got a big win electing Mamdani mayor of New York City, but also, it's New York City," said Adrian Hemond, a political strategist in Michigan.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Senior rates strategist Jennifer Kusuma said the projected decline reflects a correction in major commodity prices earlier this month, which slowed raw-material restocking and weighed on business sentiment and the outlook for corporate profits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Our call of the day, JPMorgan strategist Jason Hunter raises fresh alarm and offers a historical perspective on this relationship.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
“The pessimists would highlight that a similar convergence occurred in the second quarter of 2000, which ultimately marked the top for the market cycle,” said the strategist.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
A well-seasoned strategist waits for the right opportunity.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
In doing so, they offer a contrasting view to consultant-centered narratives, suggesting that while strategists matter, electoral outcomes and political careers are often attributed in public record to broader forces and to the officeholders themselves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
“Results were relatively in-line with our revised forecast post-preannouncement, with better than expected guidance for the full year, but IBM now needs to execute to build investor confidence in the outlook,” strategists at J.P.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Charles Schwab strategists recently announced that we’re entering a period in which it will be difficult to make money in stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Our base case has been for a managed escalation in the Middle East, allowing low market volatility to persist,” the strategists added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
They observe that, “surprisingly, strategists on both the left and right, despite their differences, converge on the individual as the unit of power.”
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
