Showing results for "tactics"

• plural of tactic.

tactics

American  

[tak-tiks] / ˈtæk tɪks /

noun

1. (usually used with a singular verb) the art or science of disposing military or naval forces for battle and maneuvering them in battle.

2. (used with a plural verb) the maneuvers themselves.

3. (used with a singular verb) any mode of procedure for gaining advantage or success.

4. (usually used with a singular verb)

   1. the patterns in which the elements of a given level or stratum in a language may combine to form larger constructions.

   2. the study and description of such patterns.

---

tactics British  

/ ˈtæktɪks /

plural noun

1. (functioning as singular) military the art and science of the detailed direction and control of movement or manoeuvre of forces in battle to achieve an aim or task

2. the manoeuvres used or plans followed to achieve a particular short-term aim

---

Synonym Usage

See strategy.

Other Word Forms

• countertactics
  noun
• tactician
  noun

Etymology

Origin of tactics

First recorded in 1620–30; see origin at tactic, -ics

Explanation

Tactics are your carefully planned actions for attaining a certain goal. You'll have to come up with some clever tactics if you're going to figure out how to build the fastest race car and win the Girl Scout troop competition. Tactics also refers to a branch of military science that deals with planning maneuvers. Military tactics involve organizing troops in certain ways, in various locations, and deploying them according to plan. Your military strategy is your plan of action to achieve your overall goal — sinking the Spanish armada, for instance — while your tactics are the nuts and bolts of how you achieve it — deploying small, agile gunboats. Tactics comes from the Greek root taktos, meaning "ordered, arranged."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tactics

Alongside scenes where Guardiola obsesses over tactics, there are many where he gives candid speeches and berates his team.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Think these tools and tactics won’t be used domestically?

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

We’ve previously reported on North Korea’s efforts to infiltrate the U.S. job market, and the data gave us a remarkable new window into their tactics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

The tool deployed up to eight autonomous agents that mapped 21 government systems, explored vulnerabilities and changed tactics when blocked, the FT said, describing the attack as a first of its kind.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

In conformity with his own tactics, he sent only a small troop of forty spears to start the work.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White