A clever plan or trick used to beat someone — to fool an enemy, win a game, or get an advantage over a rival. The heart of the word is cleverness plus a little deception: you are not just planning, you are out-thinking the other side, often by making them believe something untrue.

A clever plan or trick used to beat someone一種用來打敗別人的聰明計畫或手段 — to fool an enemy, win a game, or get an advantage over a rival用來騙過敵人、贏得比賽、或在對手面前佔上風. The heart of the word is cleverness plus a little deception這個字的核心是聰明加上一點欺瞞: you are not just planning你不只是在計劃, you are out-thinking the other side而是比對方想得更深, often by making them believe something untrue通常是讓對方相信不是真的的事

It is a formal, rather literary word. You will meet it in history books, war stories, chess writing and business articles; in everyday speech people say trick, ploy, or scheme instead.

It is a formal, rather literary word這是個正式、偏文學性的詞. You will meet it in history books, war stories, chess writing and business articles你會在歷史書、戰爭故事、西洋棋文章和商業文章裡遇到它; in everyday speech people say trick, ploy, or scheme instead日常口語人們會改說trick、ploy或scheme

Compare it with strategy, which is its close relative: a strategy is your whole big plan for how to win, while a stratagem is one specific clever move inside it.

Compare it with strategy, which is its close relative拿它跟strategy比較，兩者是近親: a strategy is your whole big plan for how to winstrategy是你整體要如何獲勝的大計畫, while a stratagem is one specific clever move inside it而stratagem是這個大計畫裡的某一個具體聰明招數

A stratagem is not necessarily wicked — it can be admired as smart — but it always suggests the other person is being outwitted, so it is never a neutral word.

A stratagem is not necessarily wickedstratagem不一定是邪惡的 — it can be admired as smart也可以被欣賞為聰明 — but it always suggests the other person is being outwitted但總是暗示對方被比下去了, so it is never a neutral word所以這絕不是個中性的詞