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

tactically

ˈtak-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of tactical

• prudent
• desirable
• wise
• possible
• politic

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

The power unit was installed inside the VICTOR unmanned aircraft, a mid-sized tactical drone developed by the US Army alongside Griffon Aerospace. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026

Now, as the leader of the Israeli political opposition bloc and the man best positioned to dislodge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Eisenkot, 66, faces a tactical quandary on an entirely different scale. — Lior Soroka, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2026

Fashion retailers and brands have also been tactical in deploying AI—and, as a result, are ahead of the curve in many ways. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026

But Jama and Acaster simply haven’t measured up to the entertainment factor of Carr, Ross and singer Cat Burns, who were tactical, lethal and, crucially, blatantly had the time of their lives plotting against fellow celebs. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for tactical

• practical
• impractical
• syntactical
• unpractical

Kids Definition

tactical

adjective

tac·​ti·​cal ˈtak-ti-kəl 

: of or relating to tactics

tactically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb