Tactics
/ˈtæk.tɪks/noun
The art or science of planning and carrying out actions to achieve a specific goal, especially in battle or competition.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek military thinking: taktikē was the art of arranging troops in order, and that same ancient root also gave us words about order, arrangement, and even discipline.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tag-
“to touch, handle, arrange”
Ancient Greek
GR
taktikos
“skilled in arranging or ordering”
Ancient Greek
GR
taktikē (tekhnē)
“the art of arranging troops in order”
Late Latin
Latin
tactica
“military tactics, the science of order and deployment”
Late Middle English
English
tactik
“the art of military disposition and maneuver”
Modern English
English
tactics
“methods used to achieve a particular end, especially in conflict or competition”