tactical

views updated May 23 2018

tac·ti·cal / ˈtaktikəl/ • adj. of, relating to, or constituting actions carefully planned to gain a specific military end: as a tactical officer in the field he had no equal. ∎  (of bombing or weapons) done or for use in immediate support of military or naval operations.Often contrasted with strategic. ∎  (of a person or their actions) showing adroit planning; aiming at an end beyond the immediate action: in a tactical retreat, she moved into a hotel with her daughters.DERIVATIVES: tac·ti·cal·ly / -ik(ə)lē/ adv.