Machiavellian
[ mak-ee-uh-vel-ee-uhn ]
/ ˌmæk i əˈvɛl i ən /
adjective
of, like, or befitting Machiavelli.
being or acting in accordance with the principles of government analyzed in Machiavelli's The Prince, in which political expediency is placed above morality and the use of craft and deceit to maintain the authority and carry out the policies of a ruler is described.
characterized by subtle or unscrupulous cunning, deception, expediency, or dishonesty: He resorted to Machiavellian tactics in order to get ahead.
noun
a follower of the principles analyzed or described in The Prince, especially with reference to techniques of political manipulation.
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Sometimes Mach·i·a·vel·i·an .
Origin of Machiavellian
First recorded in 1560–70; Machiavelli + -an
OTHER WORDS FROM Machiavellian
Mach·i·a·vel·li·an·ism, Mach·i·a·vel·i·an·ism, nounMach·i·a·vel·li·an·ly, Mach·i·a·vel·i·an·ly, adverbDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for Machiavellian
After a parricide, a fratricide was nothing to him, and he executed it with a Machiavellism full of atrocious precautions.
The Rebel Chief|Gustave AimardIt is a truism to say that Machiavellism existed before Machiavelli.
Machiavelli, Volume I|Niccol MachiavelliThat Machiavellism existed before Machiavelli has now become a truism.
Renaissance in Italy, Volume 1 (of 7)|John Addington Symonds
British Dictionary definitions for Machiavellian
Machiavellian
Machiavelian
/ (ˌmækɪəˈvɛlɪən) /
adjective (sometimes not capital)
of or relating to the alleged political principles of Machiavelli; cunning, amoral, and opportunist
noun
a cunning, amoral, and opportunist person, esp a politician
Derived forms of Machiavellian
Machiavellianism or Machiavellism, nounMachiavellist, adjective, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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