Definition of sortie

The word "sortie" originated in medieval French and was originally used to describe a military expedition or sally out of a besieged city or fortress. The exact meaning of the word can be traced back to the Old French word "sortir," which means "to come out" or "to exit." In military contexts, a sortie refers to a deliberate military operation carried out by forces inside a fortified position, with the aim of engaging enemy forces and disrupting their operations. This term is commonly associated with World War I and World War II, when it became common for German forces to mount sorties against Allied forces during sieges. The modern definition of the term has since expanded beyond military contexts, and it is now commonly used in business and technology to denote the process of organizing, categorizing, or arranging items or data in a particular order or classification system. In this context, a sortie is often seen as a way of making data more manageable and improving its overall usability and efficiency. Overall, the word "sortie" has undergone a transformation from its origins as a military term to a broader and more versatile term that reflects the changing situations and needs of different fields and industries.