Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of or relating to Machiavelli or Machiavellianism.
- adjective Suggestive of or characterized by expediency, deceit, and cunning.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Of or pertaining to Niccolo Machiavelli (also called in English Machiavel) (1469–1527), an illustrious Italian patriot and writer, secretary of state and many times ambassador of the republic of Florence; conforming to the principles imputed to Machiavelli (see II.); hence, destitute of political morality; cunning in political management; habitually using duplicity and bad faith; astutely crafty.
- noun One who adopts the principles expounded by Machiavelli in his work entitled “The Prince,” a treatise on government in which political morality is disregarded and tyrannical methods of rule are inculcated.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Attempting to achieve their
goals bycunning ,scheming , andunscrupulous methods. - adjective Related to the
philosophical system of Niccolò Machiavelli. - noun A
ruthless schemer .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a follower of Machiavelli's principles
- adjective of or relating to Machiavelli or the principles of conduct he recommended
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word Machiavellian.
Examples
-
The term "Machiavellian" emerged in the 16th century to describe a devious, cruel tyrant, who uses any means to achieve his goals.
-
Now that's what I call a Machiavellian bus; one can only think of the state of Massachusetts 'public transport.
Cokemachineglow.com 2010
-
Neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran points out that humans are sometimes called the "Machiavellian primate" because of our ability to "read minds" in order to predict other peoples' behaviour and then outsmart them.
John Stanley: Compassion And The Shadow John Stanley 2011
-
Neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran points out that humans are sometimes called the "Machiavellian primate" because of our ability to "read minds" in order to predict other peoples' behaviour and then outsmart them.
John Stanley: Compassion And The Shadow John Stanley 2011
-
He's short term Machiavellian tactician and a rubbish one to boot, especially when the spotlight is on him and he is not operating from the shadows as he had done until last June.
-
This couldn't be because Brown and his handlers are depsrate to destroy a belief that in the end he is a short term Machiavellian tactictian?
-
And there's the word Machiavellian: a single word that describes the political principles and methods advocated by Niccolo Machiavelli, a Florentine Statesman, in 1517.
One Word to Describe Bush and Bush as a Vocabulary Word 2006
-
Jesuits begun to use the word Machiavellian in the sense that I have described, meaning someone unreliable, someone who always wears a mask, someone who is ready to deceive, who is always keen, always ready and prepared to put his interest before any other moral consideration.
-
I don't think that expertise in Machiavellian politics is such a bad idea.
Woodstein U: Notes on the Mass Production and Questionable Education of Journalists 1977
-
I don't think that expertise in Machiavellian politics is such a bad idea.
Woodstein U: Notes on the Mass Production and Questionable Education of Journalists 1977
kingparton commented on the word Machiavellian
He ends by making machiavellian efforts to avoid kissing the every day sharer of his meals, books, bath towels, pocketbook, relatives, ambitions, secrets, malaises and business: a proceeding about as romantic as having his boots blacked.
H. L. Mencken, In Defense of Women
July 24, 2011