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
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of strategic
First recorded in 1815–25; from Greek stratēgikós, equivalent to stratēg(ós) “general” ( see strategy) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
Desperate to trap Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote comes up with a strategic plan, meaning a plan designed to achieve a specific goal. Strategic is a military word, relating to the careful plotting and planning necessary to win battles. But you don't need to be a general to think strategically. If you recruit your friends to talk you up to the girl you have a crush on, you're taking a strategic approach to romance.
Vocabulary lists containing strategic
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Excerpt from "Flipped"
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Ronald Reagan, "Tear Down This Wall" (1987)
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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.
Apache helicopter near the strait, targeting air defenses, ground-control stations and radar sites near the strategic waterway.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Morgan Stanley described the prospects as potentially promising, but added that the current strategic reboot "is not GoPro's first attempt at reinvention."
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
Frasers said on Wednesday that it had "a strong track record in making strategic investments".
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
“Once we get past these strategic oil reserves, we might be seeing $150 per barrel of oil. That’s when things become more acute,” Pyziur said.
From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026
As shown here, they were required to fortify their new strategic hamlets, 1962.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
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.
