Home › Military Science & Warfare › Warfare & Combat Operations › maneuver

maneuver

muh-NOO-ver /məˈnuːvər/

nounverbB2SATACTGRE

generalmilitarybusiness

A movement or series of moves requiring skill and care, especially in a military context; to perform such movements.

Emphasizes cleverness, agility, and tactical skill over brute force.

The story behind the word. Maneuver has a hands-on history. It comes from the French 'manœuvre', which traces back to the Medieval Latin 'manuoperare', meaning 'to work with the hands' (literally 'manus' for hand and 'operari' for work). It originally referred to manual labor, but evolved to describe the skilled handling of troops or ships.

Word relationships

movement: A movement is any change of position, while a maneuver is specifically a skilled, planned, and tactical movement.
stratagem: A stratagem is a clever scheme or trick, often deceptive, whereas a maneuver is a physical or tactical movement.

blunder: A blunder is a careless or clumsy mistake, the opposite of a skilled maneuver.
stagnation: Stagnation is a state of no movement or progress, whereas maneuvering is active and dynamic.

Commonly confused with

manipulate: Manipulate means to control or influence cleverly or deviously, while maneuver refers to physical or strategic movement.

Word family

maneuverability (noun): The quality of being easily steered or directed.

Collocations

tactical maneuver
room to maneuver
brilliant maneuver

Example sentences

"The fleet executed a complex maneuver to avoid the rocky shoals and position themselves behind the enemy ships." A description of naval tactics.

Memory hook

Think of a 'man' using his 'hands' to 'steer' a complex machine—he is maneuvering it. Maneuver is hand-work turned into smart movement.

When not to use

Do not use for simple, straight-line movements that require no planning or skill; a maneuver must be tactical.

Fun facts

The spelling 'manoeuvre' is preferred in British English, while 'maneuver' is the standard spelling in American English.