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
- nonstrategic adjective
- nonstrategical adjective
- strategically adverb
- unstrategic adjective
- unstrategical adjective
Etymology
Origin of strategic
First recorded in 1815–25; from Greek stratēgikós, equivalent to stratēg(ós) “general” ( strategy ) + -ikos -ic
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 appreciate the people that say I’m thoughtful or strategic — that gives me a lot of credit, actually, because I don’t think that’s the case all the time.
From Los Angeles Times
Motorola Solutions is also making a strategic push to integrate advanced human-centered AI public-safety workflows, using AI to help first responders handle calls faster, smarter, and more efficiently.
From Barron's
Early Thursday, M23 police and plain-clothed agents were still seen in the streets and at strategic points, according to local sources.
From Barron's
Modern France still has overseas territories across the globe, from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean and Pacific, legacies of the colonial era that are now vital strategic footholds for Paris.
From Barron's
He will stay on as a strategic advisor until the end of 2026.
From Barron's
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.
