tactical

adjective

tac·​ti·​cal ˈtak-ti-kəl How to pronounce tactical (audio)
1
: of or relating to combat tactics: such as
a(1)
: of or occurring at the battlefront
a tactical defense
a tactical first strike
(2)
: using or being weapons or forces employed at the battlefront
tactical missiles
b
of an air force : of, relating to, or designed for air attack in close support of friendly ground forces
2
a
: of or relating to tactics: such as
(1)
: of or relating to small-scale actions serving a larger purpose
(2)
: made or carried out with only a limited or immediate end in view
b
: adroit in planning or maneuvering to accomplish a purpose
tactically adverb

Examples of tactical in a Sentence

They gained a tactical advantage by joining with one of their competitors. He made a serious tactical error. The planes provided tactical air support for the soldiers on the ground.
Recent Examples on the Web Johnson opened her door to find an armored military-style vehicle on her front lawn along with officers in tactical gear toting rifles and a K-9 German shepherd. Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Granted, maybe investing so much of his power into the One Ring wasn't the best tactical maneuver. Marc Bernardin, EW.com, 11 Mar. 2024 Bronk says the development of the glide bombs has given the Russians a way to use their tactical air force (as opposed to long-range bombers) more effectively after its limited role in the first phase of the war. Frederik Pleitgen, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 In his presentation, Prado said that lack of officer response training, lack of law enforcement communication, and lack of police tactical equipment were the principal failures of law enforcement. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 While some shops emphasize the tactical capacities of their gear, the Americana Pipedream founders mostly fill their Instagram page with D.I.Y. graphics and riffs on viral memes in the style of Throwing Fits or Blackbird Spyplane. Charles W. McFarlane, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 But while McConnell’s critics within the GOP conference had grown louder, their numbers had not grown appreciably larger, a marker of McConnell’s strategic and tactical skill and his ability to understand the needs of his fellow Republican senators. Michael Tackett, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 He could be seen on numerous videos alongside other Proud Boys during the insurrection, dressed in tactical gear, leading chants and wielding the ax handle inside the Capitol. Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2024 The Kansas City Police Department set up a tactical response for an armed, barricaded suspect, according to Capt. Jake Becchina, a department spokesperson. Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tactical.' 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

tactic entry 1 or tactic entry 2 + -al entry 1

Note: An early use by the mathematician and occultist John Dee in his preface to Henry Billingsley's translation of Euclid's Elements (1570) is perhaps directly from Greek taktikós + -al entry 1.

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tactical was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near tactical

Cite this Entry

“Tactical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tactical. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tactical

adjective
tac·​ti·​cal ˈtak-ti-kəl How to pronounce tactical (audio)
: of or relating to tactics
tactically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tactical

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