strategy
Americannoun
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Also strategics. the science or art of combining and employing the means of war in planning and directing large military movements and operations.
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the use or an instance of using this science or art.
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skillful use of a stratagem.
The salesperson's strategy was to seem always to agree with the customer.
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a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems for obtaining a specific goal or result.
a strategy for getting ahead in the world.
noun
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the art or science of the planning and conduct of a war; generalship
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a particular long-term plan for success, esp in business or politics Compare tactics
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a plan or stratagem
Usage
What is strategy? A strategy is a plan or method put in place to achieve a goal or result, as in Blanca’s strategy for passing the test was to study every night until test day. Strategy can refer to the use of tactics in the planning of military operations, usually to succeed in a battle or war. In a military context, a strategy can refer to an overall plan, a specific or broad goal, or the execution of said plan or goal. Strategy can also refer to the use of a strategy to meet a goal, as in The only way to win a war is with a solid strategy. Example: Their strategy was to distract the enemy and then sneak in from behind.
Synonym Usage
In military usage, a distinction is made between strategy and tactics. Strategy is the utilization, during both peace and war, of all of a nation's forces, through large-scale, long-range planning and development, to ensure security or victory. Tactics deals with the use and deployment of troops in actual combat.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of strategy
First recorded in 1680–90; from Greek stratēgía “generalship,” equivalent to stratēg(os) “military commander, general” ( strat(ós) “army” + -ēgos, noun derivative of ágein “to lead”) + -ia -y 3
Explanation
In the game of capture-the-flag, running toward your flag screaming is not a good strategy. A strategy is any plan you make to achieve a goal. The word strategy was developed to describe plans people made for war, and strategies often rely on certain chief assets––the British strategy for world domination relied on its naval superiority, our strategy for this game relies on the other team's poor level of fitness. After they're exhausted, we go for the goal.
Vocabulary lists containing strategy
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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List 4
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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.
See Examples For:
“This raises the prospect of simultaneous disruption to both Gulf and Red Sea export routes,” Jim Reid, global head of macroeconomic research and thematic strategy at Deutsche Bank, wrote in a note on Monday.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
“We’re excited to deepen our relationship with YouTube through a collaboration that reflects our strategy of partnering with industry leaders to drive sustained growth for NBCUniversal.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Paramount has said it wanted to increase production of movies and TV shows, a strategy that would require buying more projects from outside producers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Or there’s a smarter strategy that you make a deal. And they want to make a deal.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
His strategy from this point on, he said, would be to gradually turn over the fighting to South Vietnam—a policy he called Vietnamization.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
A statistical analysis showed that having an adviser did not affect investors’ assessments of their investment strategies or their financial futures.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
It looked to have been a potentially fatal error to his victory hopes on a track where overtaking is all but impossible between evenly matched cars on similar strategies, but Norris stayed calm.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The growing understanding of the mouth-body connection is also leading to new diagnostic tools, prevention strategies and treatments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
"Understanding the biological, behavioral, and social factors that promote exceptional cognitive aging may ultimately complement traditional disease-focused approaches and help inform more personalized strategies for supporting brain health across the lifespan."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
“Since I had a good day and used my strategies, can we celebrate?”
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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.
