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strategic

American  
[struh-tee-jik] / strəˈti dʒɪk /
Sometimes strategical

adjective

  1. pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of strategy.

    strategic movements.

  2. important in or essential to strategy.

    Synonyms:
    principal, key, crucial, critical, opportune
  3. (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.

  4. Military.

    1. intended to render the enemy incapable of making war, as by the destruction of materials, factories, etc..

      a strategic bombing mission.

    2. (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.

    3. essential to the conduct of a war.

      Copper is a strategic material.


strategic British  
/ strəˈtiːdʒɪk /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of strategy

  2. important to a strategy or to strategy in general

  3. (of weapons, attacks, etc) directed against an enemy's homeland rather than used on a battlefield

    a strategic missile

    strategic bombing

"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

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.

“Expanding domestic demand is a strategic choice” was the title.

From Barron's

“Expanding domestic demand is a strategic choice” was the title.

From Barron's

“Expanding domestic demand is a strategic choice” was the title.

From Barron's

Both countries want to unlock new deposits of rare earths, which are essential to make cars, jet fighters and other products, as well as other strategic minerals needed for products such as batteries.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hailing Israel's decision, Abdullahi said in a post on X that it marked the beginning of a "strategic partnership".

From Barron's