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

• advisable
• desirable
• expedient
• judicious
• politic
• prudent
• wise

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

By leaning into making central processing units (CPUs) for laptops and PCs, and graphics processors, used in gaming consoles and PCs, Su brought AMD onto more stable footing, strengthening tactical partnerships with companies including Sony and Microsoft. —Ayesha Javed, TIME, 29 Sep. 2024

For fans of tactical elf armor, this $157.99 Arondir costume comes with a detailed print emulating his armor plate, along with matching pants, arm guards and belt. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 29 Sep. 2024

My experience growing a company to 500 employees has shown that many tactical decisions don't always align with strategic goals because those goals are different for each person. —Sergii Malomuzh, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024

This is asking a lot of Nix as a rookie, to play mistake-free and shift gears on time between aggressive and tactical. —Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2024

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

Kids Definition

tactical

adjective

tac·​ti·​cal ˈtak-ti-kəl 

: of or relating to tactics

tactically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb