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

All are durable, both in physical terms of keeping well in storage and tactical ones of probably being used in future combat over decades, regardless of the evolution of other weapons. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2026

As the company formed in a merger of Harris and L3 in 2019, the alliance sought to combine L3Harris’ strengths in tactical radio and spaceborne systems with L3’s expertise in communication systems, avionics, and electronic warfare. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026

That's a studio built around tactical games rather than one borrowing the genre for a single project. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Southampton have not experienced defeat in the league since January, so Eckert’s work was not focused on tactical evolution, but on trying to ensure that everyone at the club could move on. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Aug. 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