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
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.
Iain MacBeath, Bradford Council's strategic director for health, said it was also an opportunity to bring together various strands of work supporting families who often have "multiple issues to resolve".
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
When governments and their advisers are, as matter of course, using AI to improve their decision-making, expect fewer purblind, tunnel-visioned strategic decisions based on wishful thinking.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
The ADRs were rising after Novo announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
He said some countries such as South Korea and India that rely heavily on oil and gas coming from the Middle East may need to build new strategic petroleum reserves in the next few years.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
Before his time in prison, Shin had managed to make a strategic classroom alliance.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
