strategic

strategic — adjective

1. made or chosen according to a well-thought-out plan aimed at reaching a particul

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

made or chosen according to a well-thought-out plan aimed at reaching a particular goal over time — for example, a company making a strategic decision to enter a new foreign market, or a political party forming a strategic alliance before an election.

Example

Valentina made a strategic decision to enter the Asian market before her competitors did.

attributive use: strategic + decision

The company formed a strategic partnership with local farmers to secure fresh ingredients.

collocation: strategic partnership

Common collocations
  • strategic decision
  • strategic plan
  • strategic partnership
  • strategic investment
  • strategic move
  • strategic thinking
  • strategic alliance
  • strategic location
Synonyms
  • calculated

    emphasises careful thought about the results; often feels more deliberate and less collaborative

  • tactical

    focuses on short-term moves within a larger plan; narrower in scope

  • deliberate

    stresses intention rather than planning; can apply to small, one-off actions

Antonyms
  • random

    lacking any guiding plan or purpose

  • impulsive

    done on a whim without prior planning

Grammar Patterns

strategic + noun

be + strategic

Usage Note

Attributive use (before a noun) is far more common than predicative use (after 'be'). The noun following is usually an abstract noun describing an action, choice, or relationship: decision, move, plan, partnership, investment, alliance.

Common Mistakes

He made a strategic to the market.
He made a strategic move into the market.
'strategic' is an adjective; it must modify a noun, not stand alone.
It was strategic decision.
It was a strategic decision.
'strategic' needs a determiner when used with a singular countable noun.

2. relating to the positioning or use of weapons, bases, supplies, or other resourc

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to the positioning or use of weapons, bases, supplies, or other resources in a way that gives a country or army an advantage over an enemy in a conflict — for example, choosing where to station troops or what materials to stockpile for defence.

Example

The army kept a strategic reserve of fuel at bases near the border.

collocation: strategic reserve

Walid studied satellite images to identify strategic positions for launching the operation.

attributive use: strategic + positions

Common collocations
  • strategic base
  • strategic position
  • strategic importance
  • strategic location
  • strategic resources
  • strategic materials
  • strategic weapons
  • strategic target
  • strategic advantage
Synonyms
  • tactical

    about short-term battlefield decisions rather than long-term military goals; narrower in scope

  • geopolitical

    broader, involving international relations and geography beyond pure military advantage

Antonyms
  • non-essential

    not needed for military advantage or national defence

Grammar Patterns

strategic + noun

be + strategic

Usage Note

Often appears before nouns naming military assets: base, position, resource, material, weapon, target, advantage. When used predicatively ('This location is strategic'), the context is usually military or geopolitical.

Common Mistakes

They chose a strategic for the camp.
They chose a strategic location for the camp.
'strategic' cannot be used as a noun; it always modifies a noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe actions that are not accidental, but they differ in scope and time frame. 'Strategic' implies a broad, long-term plan with multiple steps — it is the biggest-picture word of the group. 'Tactical' focuses on short-term moves that serve a strategic goal; you make tactical decisions within a strategic framework. 'Calculated' emphasises advance analysis of risks and outcomes and often carries a slightly cold or self-interested tone ('a calculated insult'). 'Deliberate' simply means 'done on purpose' and does not imply any larger plan. 'Planned' is the most neutral and general. For example: a company makes a strategic decision to expand overseas (the big goal). The marketing team then makes tactical choices about which channels to use (short-term actions). If they carefully estimate the costs, those are calculated choices. Any conscious choice — big or small — can be called deliberate.

calculatedtactical ↗deliberate ↗planned ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • strategically placed
  • strategically important
  • strategically located
  • strategically positioned

Phrases

  • strategic planning session
  • strategic business unit
  • strategic arms reduction
  • strategic management
  • strategic partnership agreement

Prepositions

  • strategic for
  • strategic to

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

The word 'strategic' comes from the Greek 'stratēgikos', meaning 'of or for a general', from 'stratēgos' (general, commander), which combines 'stratos' (army, multitude, expedition) and 'agein' (to lead). It entered English in the early 17th century through French 'stratégique', originally referring to the art of military command. By the mid-20th century its meaning had broadened to include carefully planned actions in business, politics, and other non-military fields.