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

Residents of a Newark, New Jersey, apartment complex got a startling wakeup call Sunday morning when police in tactical gear, responding to reports of multiple people shot, stormed their building. — Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026

Beloozerov’s son, who asked to be identified by a pseudonym, Alexander, due to the sensitive circumstances surrounding his father’s death, said his father even sent a care package to Ukrainian troops containing money, flashlights and tactical gear. — Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Instead, having a consistent, longer-term core should help Carrick further develop this United side’s tactical identity, improve the players already at his disposal, and allow cohesion and team spirit to grow naturally. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026

Boko Haram militants in Nigeria are using (mostly closed) AI to plan attacks and gain tactical advantages, The New York Times reported. — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 9 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