strategy

American  

[strat-i-jee] / ˈstræt ɪ dʒi /

noun

• strategies
  plural

1. 

   Also strategics. the science or art of combining and employing the means of war in planning and directing large military movements and operations.

2. the use or an instance of using this science or art.

3. skillful use of a stratagem.

   The salesperson's strategy was to seem always to agree with the customer.

4. a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems for obtaining a specific goal or result.

   a strategy for getting ahead in the world.

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strategy British  

/ ˈstrætɪdʒɪ /

noun

1. the art or science of the planning and conduct of a war; generalship

2. a particular long-term plan for success, esp in business or politics Compare tactics

3. a plan or stratagem

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Usage

What is strategy? A strategy is a plan or method put in place to achieve a goal or result, as in Blanca’s strategy for passing the test was to study every night until test day. Strategy can refer to the use of tactics in the planning of military operations, usually to succeed in a battle or war. In a military context, a strategy can refer to an overall plan, a specific or broad goal, or the execution of said plan or goal. Strategy can also refer to the use of a strategy to meet a goal, as in The only way to win a war is with a solid strategy. Example: Their strategy was to distract the enemy and then sneak in from behind.

Synonym Usage

In military usage, a distinction is made between strategy and tactics. Strategy is the utilization, during both peace and war, of all of a nation's forces, through large-scale, long-range planning and development, to ensure security or victory. Tactics deals with the use and deployment of troops in actual combat.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counterstrategy
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• strategies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of strategy

First recorded in 1680–90; from Greek stratēgía “generalship,” equivalent to stratēg(os) “military commander, general” ( strat(ós) “army” + -ēgos, noun derivative of ágein “to lead”) + -ia -y ³

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Explanation

In the game of capture-the-flag, running toward your flag screaming is not a good strategy. A strategy is any plan you make to achieve a goal. The word strategy was developed to describe plans people made for war, and strategies often rely on certain chief assets––the British strategy for world domination relied on its naval superiority, our strategy for this game relies on the other team's poor level of fitness. After they're exhausted, we go for the goal.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

strategy strategies

Watching games with base runners, tough at-bats and actual strategy by managers is much more enjoyable than strikeouts and home runs with no one on base.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Silver is also more subject to investor sentiment than gold, said Robert Minter, director of ETF investment strategy at Aberdeen Investments.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2026

Both full-backs have been used as tactical tools to undo a team's defensive strategy too:

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Atlanta-based Inspire was formed in 2018 when Arby’s combined with Buffalo Wild Wings as part of a strategy to win consumers across a range of dining occasions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Or, as cynical as it may sound, his possible acceptance of Catholicism may have been merely a theological chess game, a tactic and long-term strategy that he calculated might lead to eternal salvation.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Stocks already under pressure sell off even further, while other companies’ stocks are sold just for those tax-loss strategies.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Rather, they indicate that understanding the biological changes occurring inside aging muscles may be necessary to develop more effective strategies for preventing muscle decline.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

"That is why country strategies and compacts matter. Roadmaps built around a country's ambitions, the results we are trying to achieve together, and the investments and reforms required to get there," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

The strategies seek to track—and ultimately outperform—an index, but also involve borrowing against the portfolio to create two “extensions,” one that goes long on stocks and the other that bets against them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

McKissick, just five years older than Moore, not only believed in developing new strategies for achieving racial justice; he was an activist in his own right.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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Related Words

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