strategy
Americannoun
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Also strategics. the science or art of combining and employing the means of war in planning and directing large military movements and operations.
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the use or an instance of using this science or art.
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skillful use of a stratagem.
The salesperson's strategy was to seem always to agree with the customer.
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a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems for obtaining a specific goal or result.
a strategy for getting ahead in the world.
noun
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the art or science of the planning and conduct of a war; generalship
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a particular long-term plan for success, esp in business or politics Compare tactics
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a plan or stratagem
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing strategy
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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List 4
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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.
See Examples For:
AT&T’s stock was rising in premarket action on Wednesday as the company showed further progress with its strategy of selling customers both internet and mobile service.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Belfast City councillor Paul McCusker told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme that the strategy around addiction and homelessness on Belfast's streets had been "very poor", particularly in the run up to the Fleadh.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Julia Munslow is a senior editor at The Wall Street Journal, where she leads social video strategy and visual storytelling across platforms like TikTok, LinkedIn and Instagram.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
He soon developed a reputation for charging top dollar for his campaign strategy services and for his heavy campaign spending.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Nothing in the opinion or in the subsequent legal strategy made clear that segregation had afforded elites a crucial means of exercising social control over poor and working-class whites as well as blacks.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Since momentum strategies peaked about a month ago, it has underperformed by 10 points.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
He had recently taken on greater responsibility for Hamas's diplomatic and political strategies.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Demand for premium travel experiences in the years since the pandemic has led airlines to focus even more on big-spending customers, shifting credit cards and loyalty programs to the center of airlines’ strategies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Ervin Graves should "provide recommendations" on Pakistan's policy and investment engagement strategies, and identify possible investors, it says.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Preparing to help these children requires additional thought and strategies.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
