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

Even jihadist groups that have explored tactical alliances with these gunmen have been turned off by their purely criminal intent. —Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026

Villa had one low-intensity training session after flying home from Turkey in the early hours of Friday morning, mainly consisting of tactical walkthroughs. —Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026

Alonso brought a fresh outlook as the first modern Real Madrid manager seen as likely to create a recognizable tactical identity. —Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026

Pretti comes in again when the video shows an officer wearing tactical gear shoving a protester. —Hannah Fingerhut, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 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