logistics
Americannoun
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the branch of military science and operations dealing with the procurement, supply, and maintenance of equipment, with the movement, evacuation, and hospitalization of personnel, with the provision of facilities and services, and with related matters.
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the planning, implementation, and coordination of the details of a business or other operation.
noun
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the science of the movement, supplying, and maintenance of military forces in the field
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the management of materials flow through an organization, from raw materials through to finished goods
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the detailed planning and organization of any large complex operation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of logistics
First recorded in 1875–80; from French logistique “quartermaster's work,” equivalent to log(er) “to lodge, be quartered (said of troops)” + -istique -istic; see -ics
Explanation
When you sit down to plan a party and work out how many cups you need, where you'll put the chairs, and what time you'll start cooking, you are working out the logistics — the necessary details. Logistics can describe difficult, technical operations. Many colleges have departments of logistics, which teach students how to plan for complicated events, like wars. The term is often used in military contexts to describe how to get soldiers to a certain place with enough food, toilet paper, guns, ammunition, and transportation. You'll often hear logistics used in regular speech to describe any effort that requires some prior planning — even if it's just the logistics of picking someone up at the airport.
Vocabulary lists containing logistics
The Things They Carried
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Drama
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This Week in Pop Culture: December 1 - 7, 2018
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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.
“I would say a third is marketing, a third is distribution and logistics, and a third is promotional activities.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
It has been a logistics and supply hub for the Ukrainian military for much of the war and is part of the so-called "fortress belt" which troops are fighting to keep hold of.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Robinson agreed to buy truck broker RXO for more than $5 billion in cash and stock in a deal that would create one of the largest U.S. logistics firms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
"I worked in the production department, which is logistics, all sorts of paperwork and call sheets, and you manage all of the schedules - that's a very heavy admin-based role," said Williams.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Moss felt like the ignition for a fire, and as the people in Blessed Way began to talk strategy and logistics, he looked at Esperanza.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
