strategy

noun

strat·e·gy | \ ˈstra-tə-jē

plural strategies

Definition of strategy

1a(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

2a : 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

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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

Every child occupies a certain niche within the family and then uses his or her own strategies to master life. — Corinna Hartmann, Scientific American, "Does Birth Order Affect Personality?," 8 Aug. 2019 But for that to happen President Donald Trump and his advisers must rethink their strategy. — The Economist, "Dangerous miscalculations," 8 Aug. 2019 That’s because the birds are naturally kleptoparasitic scavengers, meaning one of their feeding strategies is to steal food from other animals. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "The Scientists Who Stared at Gulls," 8 Aug. 2019 For months, we were called thugs, as though our black skin precluded us from being patriots. We were painted as lawless and disorganized, despite our strategy and discipline. — Brittany Packnett, Time, "How Ferguson Woke Us Up," 8 Aug. 2019 Our guests have responded favorably to the breadth of our promotions, which leverage our strategy around compelling value bundles. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Combo deals boost Jack in the Box’s financial results," 7 Aug. 2019 His reelection strategy has placed racial animus at the forefront in an effort that his aides say is designed to activate his base of conservative voters, an approach not seen by an American president in the modern era. — chicagotribune.com, "Trump says ‘our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy’ after weekend mass shootings," 5 Aug. 2019 His reelection strategy so far has placed racial animus at the forefront in an effort that his aides say is designed to activate his base of conservative voters, an approach not seen by an American president in the modern era. — Jonathan Lemire, Twin Cities, "After pair of mass shootings, Trump remains out of sight," 4 Aug. 2019 My favorite strategy is to turn my mind off with something entertaining. — Laird Hamilton, Outside Online, "Laird Hamilton's Tips for Maximizing Your Rest Days," 4 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'strategy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near strategy

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Last Updated

14 Aug 2019

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Time Traveler for strategy

The first known use of strategy was in 1779

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More Definitions for strategy

strategy

noun

English Language Learners Definition of strategy

: a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time

: the skill of making or carrying out plans to achieve a goal

See the full definition for strategy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

strategy

noun

strat·e·gy | \ ˈstra-tə-jē

plural strategies

Kids Definition of strategy

: a carefully developed plan or method for achieving a goal or the skill in developing and undertaking such a plan or method We learned strategies for improving business.

strategy

noun

strat·e·gy | \ ˈstrat-ə-jē

plural strategies

Medical Definition of strategy

: 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