stratagem

C2+ Topic:War & Conflict

US /ˈstrætədʒəm/ UK /ˈstrætədʒəm/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a plan or scheme to deceive an enemy or gain an advantage

The general's stratagem lured the foe into a trap.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a plan or scheme to deceive... ploy ruse trick scheme tactic device wile manoeuvre

Word family

Related forms strategy strategic

Etymology

From Middle French 'stratagème', from Latin 'strategema', from Ancient Greek 'stratēgēma', a piece of generalship, from 'stratēgos' (general), from 'stratos' (army) + 'agein' (to lead).

stratēgēma Ancient Greek stratos Ancient Greek agein Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

War & Conflict

External links

# stratagem

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈstrætədʒəm/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈstrætədʒəm/

## Meanings
1. a plan or scheme to deceive an enemy or gain an advantage

## Examples
- The general's stratagem lured the foe into a trap.

## Synonyms
- ploy
- ruse
- trick
- scheme
- tactic
- device
- wile
- manoeuvre

## Related Forms
- strategy
- strategic

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: stratēgēma
- Root: stratos
- Root: agein

## Etymology
From Middle French 'stratagème', from Latin 'strategema', from Ancient Greek 'stratēgēma', a piece of generalship, from 'stratēgos' (general), from 'stratos' (army) + 'agein' (to lead).

## AI Etymology
Stratagem is from Middle French 'stratagème', from Latin 'strategema', from Ancient Greek 'stratēgēma', a piece of generalship, from 'stratēgos' (general), from 'stratos' (army) + 'agein' (to lead). Important recorded forms include stratēgēma (Ancient Greek), stratos (Ancient Greek), and agein (Ancient Greek). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers a plan or scheme to deceive an enemy or gain an advantage. The wider family includes related words such as strategy and strategic.

## Topics
- War & Conflict

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