Meaning & use
logistical
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to the practical organization of a complex activity, especially moving people, supplies, or equipment.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: logistical problems, logistical support.
Patterns
- logistical problems
- logistical support
- logistical challenge
The festival ran smoothly despite major logistical problems with parking.
The army needed logistical support to move troops across the desert.
Planning the wedding involved many logistical details, such as seating and transport.
Common combinations
- logistical nightmare
- Getting everyone to the airport on time was a logistical nightmare.
- logistical support
- The charity provided logistical support for the rescue teams.
- logistical challenge
- Delivering food to remote villages is a huge logistical challenge.
- logistical problem
- We hit a logistical problem when the truck broke down.
Synonyms and how they differ
- organizational
- Focuses on arranging structures or systems, while logistical stresses the practical movement and supply side.
- operational
- Relates to the day-to-day running of something; logistical is narrower and about planning and transport.
Word family
- logistics noun
- The practical organization of moving and supplying things.
- logistically adverb
- In a way that relates to logistics.
Commonly confused: logistical or logical?
logistical vs logical
Logical means reasonable or sensible; logistical is about practical organization and supply.
Practice
The company faced a ______ problem when the new warehouse was too far from the port.
Choose one answer.
Logistical fits because the problem is about moving and storing goods. Logical would mean the problem is about clear reasoning, which does not fit here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “logistical”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.