definitions

stratagem

[ strat-uh-juhm ]
/ ˈstræt ə dʒəm /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR stratagem ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a plan, scheme, or trick for surprising or deceiving an enemy.
any artifice, ruse, or trick devised or used to attain a goal or to gain an advantage over an adversary or competitor: business stratagems.

RELATED WORDS

ploy, ruse, one-upmanship, subterfuge, wile, gimmick, brainchild, artifice, scene, twist, proposition, pitch, racket, pretext, plot, story, angle, scheme, method, dodge

Nearby words

strasberg, strasbourg, strass, strata, strata title, stratagem, stratal, strategic, strategic air command, strategic arms limitation talks, strategics

Origin of stratagem

1480–90; (< Middle French stratageme) < Italian stratagemma war ruse < Latin stratēgēma < Greek stratḗgēma instance of generalship, derivative of stratēgeîn to be in command, derivative of stratēgós military commander (see strategy)

Related forms

strat·a·gem·i·cal [strat-uh-jem-i-kuhl] /ˌstræt əˈdʒɛm ɪ kəl/, adjectivestrat·a·gem·i·cal·ly, adverb

Can be confused

stratagem strategy

Synonym study

1, 2. See trick.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for stratagem

British Dictionary definitions for stratagem

stratagem

/ (ˈstrætɪdʒəm) /

noun

a plan or trick, esp one to deceive an enemy

Word Origin for stratagem

C15: ultimately from Greek stratēgos a general, from stratos an army + agein to lead
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012