strategy

noun

strat·​e·​gy ˈstra-tə-jē How to pronounce strategy (audio)
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

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 The strategy involves contributing more funds upfront, then declining amounts over time, said Steve Watson, budget director. Detroit Free Press, 7 Mar. 2024 But putting the proposals in his prime-time address Thursday reflects part of Biden’s 2024 strategy to campaign on economic inequality, as Democrats emphasize their plans to reduce the deficit and expand social programs by taxing the wealthy. Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 In response to emails and a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by Capital & Main, the FBI declined to answer questions on the specifics of its surveillance strategies, or their impact on the health of the community. Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Awards were always a critical element of this strategy, raising the profile of idiosyncratic movies. Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 And that’s a strategy long urged by content distributors like Charter. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Testing and compliance are particularly difficult, Henley says, as traditional software development testing strategies are maladapted for non-deterministic LLMs. IEEE Spectrum, 6 Mar. 2024 Schiff used a controversial campaign strategy of highlighting Garvey in ads in hopes that the Republican's second-place win would lead to an easier race than a contest with Porter. USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 This directly affects feeding behaviors and, in turn, impacts fishing tactics and strategy. Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strategy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek stratēgia generalship, from stratēgos

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of strategy was in 1779

Dictionary Entries Near strategy

Cite this Entry

“Strategy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strategy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

strategy

noun
strat·​e·​gy ˈstrat-ə-jē How to pronounce strategy (audio)
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 How to pronounce strategy (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on strategy

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