English
strategic
Strategic comes from Ancient Greek στρατηγικός ‘of or for a general’, from στρατηγός ‘general’ (στρατός ‘army’ + ἄγω ‘to lead’).
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστρατηγός1stratēgós‘general, army commander’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστρατηγικός1stratēgikós‘of or for a general’
- Englishtodaystrategic1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English strategic
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστρατηγόςWiktionary, English strategicstratēgós‘general, army commander’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστρατηγικόςWiktionary, English strategicstratēgikós‘of or for a general’
- EnglishtodaystrategicWiktionary, English strategic
A compound of στρατός ‘army’ + ἄγω ‘I lead, I conduct’
Proto-Indo-European *sterh₃- ‘to spread, extend, stretch out’
Proto-Indo-European *str̥tós
Proto-Hellenic *strətós
Ancient Greek στρατός ‘army’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- ‘to drive’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti ‘to be driving’
Proto-Hellenic *ágō ‘to lead, to guide’
Ancient Greek ἄγω ‘I lead, I conduct’
Linked words
through Ancient Greek στρατηγός ‘the leader or commander of an army, a general’
Today it means
adj Of or pertaining to strategy.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “strategic”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek στρατηγός / strategic