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

• plan
• blueprint
• program
• scheme

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

Instead, Gazan leadership fell into refusals and delays without any coherent strategy. —Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025

Cowshed will manage and operate the day-to-day operations of the channel and look after content strategy and audience development. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025

Significant, even critical, shifts in strategy or prioritization rarely require organizations to change completely in form or structure. —Brené Brown, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025

The panelists were Ravi Kumar S, CEO of Cognizant, which sponsored the event; Athina Kanioura, chief strategy and transformation officer at PepsiCo, which also sponsored the event; and Jared Kaplan, co-founder and chief science officer at Anthropic. —Zoe Corbyn, Time, 14 Oct. 2025

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