- strategy, tactics
- Essentially, strategy has to do with the planning of schemes or operations, tactics with putting these plans into effect. Military strategy is the art or science of command as applied to the overall conduct of large-scale operations. Strategy in nonmilitary application refers to the skill of employing stratagems in business, politics, domestic life, and so forth: "He has a definite strategy for investing money." "What is his strategy in dealing with his wife?" Tactics is the technique or science of obtaining or securing what strategy has planned. Although plural in form, tactics is used with a singular verb when it refers to the art, science, or general mode of procedure used in gaining success or advantage. When tactics refers to the maneuvers themselves, the verb is plural. Tactic, singular in form, is always used with a singular verb."His tactic is to upset his opponents." "The tactics of military strategy is a complicated study." "The generals' tactics in that battle were masterly."
Dictionary of problem words and expressions. Harry Shaw. 1975.