gamesmanship

noun

games·​man·​ship ˈgāmz-mən-ˌship How to pronounce gamesmanship (audio)
1
: the art or practice of winning games by questionable expedients without actually violating the rules
2
: the use of ethically dubious methods to gain an objective

Examples of gamesmanship in a Sentence

They blur the line between gamesmanship and cheating. that author doesn't go in for literary gamesmanship, so the reader is never led astray by the novel's narrator
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The political games that were played with the release of this study only serve to reinforce the impression many have held since the permitting pause was imposed in January, which is that the entire thing has from Day One been an exercise in political gamesmanship. David Blackmon, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024 This understandable bit of gamesmanship has unintended consequences. Nate Jones, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2024 In Republicans' absence, Democrats passed a slew of legislation, and leaders from both sides of the aisle capped the dramatic day accusing one another of political gamesmanship. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 14 Dec. 2024 The political machinations on the right and left appear little more than gamesmanship. Joseph Ataman, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gamesmanship 

Word History

Etymology

games, plural of game entry 1 + -manship (after sportsmanship)

Note: A word popularized and probably originated in this sense by the British author Stephen Potter (1900-69) in The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship (1947).

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gamesmanship was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near gamesmanship

Cite this Entry

“Gamesmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamesmanship. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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