Dictionary

stratagem en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈstɹæt.ə.d͡ʒəm/ (US)

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.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A tactic or artifice designed to gain the upper hand, especially one involving underhanded dealings or deception.
   • While Collins does include a love triangle, a coming-of-age story, and other YA-friendly elements in the mix, they serve as a Trojan horse to smuggle readers into a hopeless world where love becomes a stratagem and growing up is a matter of basic survival. 2012 March 22, Scott Tobias, AV Club, The Hunger Games:
   • Near-synonyms: ploy, ruse
   • She will not yet be permitted to return to the Manor House: it is too convenient for 'treasons, stratagems,' &c.; and it is as well not to be put in the way of temptation: but she will be allowed perfect liberty in London. 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A Friend at Court”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 265:
   • Tis pollicie and ſtratageme muſt doo / That you affect, and ſo muſt you reſolue, / That vvhat you cannot as you vvould atchiue, / You muſt perforce accompliſh as you may: […] c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], signature [C4], verso:
2. (countable, uncountable) Specifically, such a tactic or artifice in military operation.
   • 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. c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:
3. (uncountable) Military deception or artifice.
4. (uncountable) Cunning and artifice in general.
5. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A violent deed.

Forms

Deriveds

counterstratagem · stratagemical · North Carolina stratagem · stratagemic

Relateds

strategic · strategist · strategy

Synonyms

ruse · ploy

Translations (61)

yue 策略 (tactic) · ru стратаге́ма (tactic) · bg уловка (tactic) · ota اورند (tactic) · ko 계략 (tactic) · fi juoni (tactic) · bg хитрина (tactic) · tr savaş hilesi (tactic) · de Stratagem (tactic) · id muslihat (tactic) · es estratagema (tactic) · mi nuka (tactic) · es trafique (tactic) · la sūtēla (tactic) · fi salajuoni (tactic) · hu hadicsel (tactic) · uk хитрість (tactic) · fr stratagème (tactic) · ko 계책 (tactic) · ca estratagema (tactic) · pl fortel (tactic) · pl zagrywka (tactic) · et sõjakavalus (tactic) · it tattica (tactic) · kk айла (tactic) · fi petos (tactic) · id siasat (tactic) · ru уло́вка (tactic) · de Strategem (tactic) · ru хи́трость (tactic) · yue 伎倆 /伎俩 (tactic) · et kavalus (tactic) · la stratēgēma (tactic) · no krigslist (tactic) · pl chwyt (tactic) · grc στρατήγημα (tactic) · yue 計謀 /计谋 (tactic) · nl krijgslist (tactic) · pt maquinação (tactic) · it schema (tactic) · uk трюк (tactic) · ja 策略 (tactic) · da krigslist (tactic) · th ชั้นเชิง (tactic) · tr harp hilesi (tactic) · de Kriegslist (tactic) · ja 謀略 (tactic) · el στρατήγημα (tactic) · ru ухищре́ние (tactic) · ja 計略 (tactic) · sv krigslist (tactic) · pt estratagema (tactic) · mi rauhanga (tactic) · ota حیله (tactic) · yue 花招 (tactic) · ga beart (tactic) · it stratagemma (tactic) · no list (tactic) · cmn 伎倆 /伎俩 (tactic) · yue 戰略 /战略 (tactic) · da taktik (tactic)