strategic
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of strategy.
strategic movements.
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important in or essential to strategy.
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(of an action, as a military operation or a move in a game) forming an integral part of a stratagem.
a strategic move in a game of chess.
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Military.
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intended to render the enemy incapable of making war, as by the destruction of materials, factories, etc..
a strategic bombing mission.
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(of a weapon) long range, as an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Strategic nuclear weapons were the linchpin of the Mutual Assured Destruction doctrine at the height of the Cold War.
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essential to the conduct of a war.
Copper is a strategic material.
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adjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of strategy
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important to a strategy or to strategy in general
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(of weapons, attacks, etc) directed against an enemy's homeland rather than used on a battlefield
a strategic missile
strategic bombing
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of strategic
First recorded in 1815–25; from Greek stratēgikós, equivalent to stratēg(ós) “general” ( see strategy) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
Desperate to trap Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote comes up with a strategic plan, meaning a plan designed to achieve a specific goal. Strategic is a military word, relating to the careful plotting and planning necessary to win battles. But you don't need to be a general to think strategically. If you recruit your friends to talk you up to the girl you have a crush on, you're taking a strategic approach to romance.
Vocabulary lists containing strategic
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Excerpt from "Flipped"
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Ronald Reagan, "Tear Down This Wall" (1987)
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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.
In other words, the reserves his company and others have been tapping — including the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve, which is supposed to be used only for global emergencies — are about to run out.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
For years, the U.S. was the only real player in this strategic game, wielding the U.S. dollar and the control the currency gave it over the global financial system to pressure rivals and sanction enemies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
There are still more stockpiles from strategic reserves that are set to hit markets, as part of an International Energy Agency effort that started in March.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
A strategic review of the business segment that Cooper initiated last year is what’s driving the stock higher, wrote Brett Fishbin and William Korner, analysts at KeyBanc Capital Markets.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
It might have been a strategic move by Stalin to keep a close eye on all the Soviet Union’s top aviation specialists.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
