Stratagem
//ˈstɹæt.ə.d͡ʒəm// noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A tactic or artifice designed to gain the upper hand, especially one involving underhanded dealings or deception. countable, uncountable
"Near-synonyms: ploy, ruse"
- 2 a maneuver in a game or conversation wordnet
- 3 Specifically, such a tactic or artifice in military operation. countable, uncountable
"His fiery eies are fixt vpon the earth. As if he now deuiſ’d some Stratageme: Or meant to pierce Auernus darkſome vauts. To pull the triple headed dog from hell."
- 4 an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade wordnet
- 5 Military deception or artifice. uncountable
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- 6 Cunning and artifice in general. uncountable
- 7 A violent deed. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Example
More examples"The enemy somehow got word of the stratagem."
Etymology
From Middle English stratageme, from Old French stratageme, from Latin strategema, from Ancient Greek στρατήγημα (stratḗgēma, “the act of a general, a piece of generalship”), from στρατηγέω (stratēgéō, “to be a general, command an army”), from στρατηγός (stratēgós, “a general, the leader or commander of an army”). See strategy.
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.