tactical
adjective
tac·ti·cal
ˈtak-ti-kəl 
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
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
Players need a tactical mind and a splendid overall strategy.
—
Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Operators will use a tactical battle management system, leveraging offboard sensor information, to direct a test interceptor vehicle toward the simulated threat.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 12 May 2026
Among the military hardware was an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft.
—James Laporta, CBS News, 11 May 2026
The complaint alleges ChatGPT discussed weapons, tactical details and peak traffic times at FSU's student union with Ikner before the shooting, which also left five other people injured, per the outlets.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tactical
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Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Operators will use a tactical battle management system, leveraging offboard sensor information, to direct a test interceptor vehicle toward the simulated threat.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 12 May 2026
Among the military hardware was an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft.
—James Laporta, CBS News, 11 May 2026
The complaint alleges ChatGPT discussed weapons, tactical details and peak traffic times at FSU's student union with Ikner before the shooting, which also left five other people injured, per the outlets.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tactical
Cite this Entry
“Tactical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tactical. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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