tactic

1 of 3

noun

tac·​tic ˈtak-tik 

1

: a device for accomplishing an end

2

: a method of employing forces in combat

tactic

2 of 3

adjective

: of or relating to arrangement or order

-tactic

3 of 3

adjective combining form

1

: of, relating to, or having (such) an arrangement or pattern

phonotactic

2

: showing orientation or movement directed by a (specified) force or agent

geotactic

Note: Adjectives formed with -tactic usually correspond to nouns ending in -taxis.

Examples of tactic in a Sentence

Noun

an effective tactic for solving crimes

We may need to change tactics.

a specialist in naval tactics

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The shift in tactics to effectively 3-5-1-1 in late November may not have won universal backing from supporters. —Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 3 May 2025

The Liberal Party’s loss means Dutton’s plan to build seven nuclear plants at public expense won’t move forward, a proposal critics said was a stalling tactic to extend Australia’s reliance on fossil fuels. —Hilary Whiteman and Angus Watson, CNN Money, 3 May 2025

Adjective

This tactic forces troops into impossible split-second decisions under fire—precisely the kind of dilemma that international law accounts for, but online critics ignore. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025

Once a target that opposing teams would try to attack with their primary ball handlers (a tactic teams often employ to get great shooters off the floor), Beasley is now tasked with guarding premier scorers by design. —Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from New Latin tactica "art of deploying troops in combat," borrowed from Greek taktikḗ (originally modifying téchnē "art, skill "), noun derivative from feminine of taktikós "of ordering or arranging, of ordering troops in combat"; in recent use also as back-formation from tactics — more at tactic entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from Greek taktikós "of ordering or arranging, of ordering troops in combat," from taktós "ordered, prescribed" (verbal adjective of tássein —Attic táttein— "to draw up in order [as troops, ships], post, station, place in order, prescribe, assess," of uncertain origin) + -ikos -ic entry 1

Note: The derivative noun tagḗ "line of battle" (and possibly Thessalian tāgós "commander") show that the base of the verb was tag-, which should have resulted in *tázein rather than tássein; the latter was presumably introduced from generalization of the voiceless consonant in the aorist and in derivatives such as taktós, táxis, etc. The base tag- has been compared with the Parthian title tgmdr (read as *taɣma-dára "order-giver"), Old Persian ham-ataxšata "they have put in order," Tocharian B tāś "commander," and (semantically much more distant) Lithuanian patogùs "convenient, comfortable," sutógti "to get married, ally oneself." R. Beekes proposes a verb *teh₂g-, invoking a law to delete the laryngeal in order to avoid positing a base with *a (Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2010).

Adjective combining form

borrowed from Greek -taktikos, after pairs such as prótaxis "placement in front, prefixing," protaktikós "used as a prefix" — more at tactic entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1871, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tactic

• delaying tactic
• delay tactic

Rhymes for tactic

• lactic
• tactic
• anaphylactic
• extragalactic
• intergalactic
• stereotactic
• chemotactic
• chiropractic
• isotactic
• prophylactic
• climactic
• didactic

Kids Definition

tactic

noun

tac·​tic

ˈtak-tik

1

: a method of arranging and moving forces in combat

2

: a planned action for a particular purpose

Medical Definition

tactic

adjective

tac·​tic ˈtak-tik 

1

: regular in structure of repeating units in a polymer

2

: of, relating to, or showing biological taxis