tactical

TAK-ti-kuhl/ˈtæktɪk(ə)l/

6 meanings of tactical

1
adjective
Having to do with careful plans to win a game, fight, or contest.
Like choosing which move to make next in a game to get ahead.
The coach made a tactical decision to switch formations.
Her tactical sense let her outmaneuver every opponent at the chessboard.
Note
2
adjective
About small, local military actions, not the big overall war plan.
Like winning one small game instead of planning the whole season.
The soldiers made a tactical retreat to higher ground.
Each tactical move aimed to capture one hill at a time.
Oppositestrategic
Note
3
adjective
Clever and skillful at planning or doing something.
Like a chess player who always picks the smartest move.
Her tactical handling of the argument impressed everyone in the room.
A tactical thinker, he always found the cleverest path forward.
Similarshrewd, clever, astute, adroit
Oppositeclumsy, inept
4
adjective
Made to look military, often black and fitted with extra gear like a stand or removable magazine.
Like clothes made to look like an army uniform even though they're just for everyday wear.
He bought a tactical rifle with a black stock and a folding stand.
The store sells tactical flashlights that look like army gear.
Note
5
nouncountable
A private, planned event where people stage pretend battles for fun.
Like a big game of pretend war that friends plan together.
We went to a tactical last weekend and played mock battles all day.
The group runs a tactical in the forest every summer.
6
nouncountable
A tool in proof software that combines smaller proof steps into a bigger one.
Like a recipe that joins several small cooking steps into one instruction.
A tactical lets you run several proof steps as one.
She wrote a tactical to repeat the same step until it worked.
Note

Practice

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Origin

From the word "tactic" plus the ending "-al".