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stratagem

noun

strat·​a·​gem ˈstra-tə-jəm How to pronounce stratagem (audio)
-ˌjem
1
a
: an artifice or trick in war for deceiving and outwitting the enemy
b
: a cleverly contrived trick or scheme for gaining an end
2
: skill in ruses or trickery

Did you know?

A stratagem is any clever scheme—sometimes one that's part of an overall strategy (i.e., a carefully worked out plan of action). The word stratagem entered English in the 15th century and was originally used in reference to some artifice, such as a military plan or maneuver, which was designed to deceive or outwit the enemy. This military sense can be traced back to the word's Greek ancestor stratēgēma, which is itself based on stratēgein, meaning "to act as a general." Stratēgein, in turn, comes from stratēgos (meaning "general"), which comes from stratos ("camp" or "army") and agein ("to lead"). Stratēgos is an ancestor of strategy as well.

Synonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for stratagem

trick, ruse, stratagem, maneuver, artifice, wile, feint mean an indirect means to gain an end.

trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

Example Sentences

tried various stratagems to get the cat into the carrier, but the feisty feline was wise to them all
Recent Examples on the Web These actions are possible because of his political stratagem. Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 17 May 2022 Since returning to power in 2010, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has deliberately increased Hungary’s reliance on Russian imports as a political stratagem. Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 17 May 2022 The old stratagem, devised in childhood: not wanting to exclude myself from the cultural access whites had; not wanting to look damaged by what had been offered grudgingly or compensatorily. Margo Jefferson, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Mar. 2022 This stratagem typically involves an attempt to dupe victims into visiting a fraudulent site that claims to offer payment services, discounts, investment opportunities, loans, etc. David Balaban, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022 The first stratagem of the racist is to quote the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. John Archibald | Jarchibald@al.com, al, 16 Jan. 2022 Written by co–executive producer Coleman Herbert, this episode employs the tricky but effective stratagem of walking backward through one of the show’s major revelations: How did Roxanne pull off such a huge grift? Devon Maloney, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2021 But her refusal to communicate don’t offer these theoretical voters any argument to consider or guidestar to follow, which diminishes the effectiveness of this stratagem. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 Oct. 2021 Armed with the insight, Jill tries and fails to rouse him from his slumbers (a sly and symbolic stratagem, involving the family dog). Richard Brod, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2021 See More

Word History

Etymology

Italian stratagemma, from Latin strategema, from Greek stratēgēma, from stratēgein to be a general, maneuver, from stratēgos general, from stratos camp, army (akin to Latin stratus, past participle, spread out) + agein to lead — more at stratum, agent

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stratagem was in the 15th century

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