strategy

noun

strat·​e·​gy ˈstra-tə-jē 

plural strategies

1

a(1)

: the science and art of employing the political, economic, psychological, and military forces of a nation or group of nations to afford the maximum support to adopted policies in peace or war

(2)

: the science and art of military command exercised to meet the enemy in combat under advantageous conditions

b

: a variety of or instance of the use of strategy

2

a

: a careful plan or method : a clever stratagem

b

: the art of devising or employing plans or stratagems toward a goal

3

: an adaptation or complex of adaptations (as of behavior, metabolism, or structure) that serves or appears to serve an important function in achieving evolutionary success

foraging strategies of insects

Synonyms

• arrangement
• blueprint
• design
• game
• game plan
• ground plan
• master plan
• plan
• program
• project
• road map
• scheme
• system

Examples of strategy in a Sentence

They are proposing a new strategy for treating the disease with a combination of medications.

The government is developing innovative strategies to help people without insurance get medical care.

a specialist in campaign strategy

Recent Examples on the Web

Fall prevention strategies and balance training are crucial and can help reduce the risk of fractures. —Jianying Zhang, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024

Avoiding boredom of sitting in the same spot day after day. Cons of Mobile Hunting the Rut As with all hunting strategies, mobile hunting during the rut does have some drawbacks as well. —Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024

The study also shows how the effective existing management strategies are, such as limiting the number of days cage-diving operations can occur, controlling the amount of bait used, and reducing the amount of bait that sharks consume. —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

In the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, GOP consultants were fighting over strategy: Would going all-in on anti-trans messaging deliver then-President Donald Trump the suburbs in his race against former Vice President Joe Biden? —Madison Pauly and Sarah Szilagy, Them, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Greek stratēgia generalship, from stratēgos

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing strategy

• counter-strategy
• exit strategy

Kids Definition

strategy

noun

strat·​e·​gy ˈstrat-ə-jē 

plural strategies

1

: the science and art of employing the forces of a country in peace or war

especially : the science and art of military command exercised to meet the enemy in combat under favorable conditions

2

a

: a careful plan or method

b

: the art of making or employing plans or tricks to achieve a goal

Medical Definition

strategy

noun

strat·​e·​gy ˈstrat-ə-jē 

plural strategies

: an adaptation or complex of adaptations (as of behavior, metabolism, or structure) that serves or appears to serve an important function in achieving evolutionary success