Meaning & use
stratagem
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Meaning
nouncountable
A clever plan or trick, often involving deception, used to gain an advantage or outwit someone.
Grammar: Countable; can be used with 'a' or in the plural.
Patterns
- a clever stratagem
- resort to a stratagem
- use a stratagem to do something
The general devised a stratagem to lure the enemy into a trap.
She used a clever stratagem to get the information she needed.
Their stratagem of pretending to be tourists fooled everyone.
Word forms
| plural | stratagems |
|---|
Common combinations
- a clever stratagem
- He came up with a clever stratagem to win the game.
- resort to a stratagem
- When negotiations failed, they resorted to a stratagem.
- employ a stratagem
- The spy employed a stratagem to avoid detection.
- a military stratagem
- The book describes famous military stratagems.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trick
- A trick is often simpler and can be playful or dishonest; a stratagem is more carefully planned and usually aims at a serious goal.
- ploy
- A ploy is a tactic to gain an advantage, often in conversation or business, while a stratagem suggests a more elaborate scheme.
- ruse
- A ruse is a deception, often a quick one; a stratagem implies a longer, more calculated plan.
- scheme
- A scheme can be a plan or a secret plot; a stratagem always involves cleverness or deception to outwit someone.
Word family
- strategic adjective
- Relating to long-term planning or strategy.
- strategy noun
- A general plan to achieve a goal, not necessarily involving deception.
- strategist noun
- A person skilled in planning strategies.
Commonly confused: stratagem or strategy?
stratagem vs strategy
A strategy is an overall plan, often neutral; a stratagem is a specific clever trick or scheme, often deceptive.
Practice
Fill in the blank: The chess player used a clever ______ to force his opponent into a mistake.
Choose one answer.
The sentence needs a noun meaning a clever trick or plan; 'stratagem' fits perfectly. 'Strategy' is a general plan, not a specific trick. 'Strategic' is an adjective, and 'strategist' is a person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stratagem”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.