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
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.
Japan depends on the Middle East for 95 percent of its oil imports and has had to dip into strategic stockpiles to temper the impact of rising fuel prices since the start of the war.
From Barron's
It sounds like science fiction, but space is becoming a strategic asset for companies and governments worldwide.
From Barron's
But China is a powerful global player driven by strategic interests.
From BBC
But while the remarks from the two leaders provided hope for an end to the month-long crisis, crude prices jumped on lingering worries about the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's
“The M&A market is focused on the long-term fundamentals: right deal, right price and right strategic rationale.”
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.
