Tactic Meaning
/ˈtæktɪk/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.
nounA maneuver used against an enemy.
Sentence Examples
Racial profiling is a controversial police tactic.
Playing with another's confusion is a good tactic.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Their main ____ was to surprise the enemy by attacking at night.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The team's main ____ was to keep possession of the ball for as long as possible to frustrate the other side today.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from New Latin tactica, from Ancient Greek τακτικός (taktikós, “fit for ordering”), from τάσσω (tássō, “to order, to arrange”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Omar has challenged Elliott Abrams’s record in Latin America, taken a firm line against Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, and advocated for—wait for it—the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine (even though the headlines have focused on her expressing support for the right to boycott as a tactic)."
— 2019 September 10, Jonathan Guyer, The American Prospect, number Fall 2019:
"But time will teach the Russ, ev'n conquering War
Has handmaid arts: aye, aye, the Russ will woo
All sciences that speed Bellona's car,
All murder's tactic arts, and win them too […]"
— 1831, Thomas Campbell, The Power of Russia:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Their main ____ was to surprise the enemy by attacking at night.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The team's main ____ was to keep possession of the ball for as long as possible to frustrate the other side today.