machiavellian
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Machiavellian¹
- /ˌmæk.i.əˈvɛl.i.ən/ UK
- /ˌmæk.jəˈvɛl.i.ən/ UK
- /ˌmɑk.i.əˈvɛl.i.ən/ US
- /ˌmæk.jəˈvɛl.i.ən/ US
Rhymes with -ɛliən
Where it comes from
From Machiavelli + -an, from the name of the Italian statesman and writer Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), whose work The Prince (1532) advises that acquiring and exercising power may require unethical methods.
adjective more Machiavellian · most Machiavellian · machiavellian
-
Attempting to achieve goals by cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous methods, especially in politics.
Iago is the Machiavellian antagonist in William Shakespeare's play Othello.
Similar: Machiavellic, Machiavellistic
- Related to the philosophical system of Niccolò Machiavelli. As Dr. Spalding notes, the connection that Washington drew "between private morality and national character, between virtue and happiness, hardly seems Machiavellian."
noun Machiavellians · machiavellian
-
An unscrupulous schemer.
Similar: Machiavellianist, Machiavellist, Machiavel
machiavellian²
adjective more machiavellian · most machiavellian
- Alternative form of Machiavellian
Translations
Every language
adj attempting to achieve goals by cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous methods
| Español | maquiavélico |
|---|---|
| Português | maquiavélico |
| Français | machiavélique |
| Deutsch | machiavellistisch |
| Italiano | machiavellico |
| Ελληνικά | μακιαβελικός makiavelikós |
| Română | machiavelic |
| Русский | макиавеллистический makiavellističeskij |
| العربية | مَكْيافِلِّيّ makyavilliyy |
adj related to the philosophical system of Niccolò Machiavelli
| Español | maquiavélico |
|---|---|
| Português | maquiaveliano |
| Français | machiavélien |
| Italiano | machiavelliano |
| Ελληνικά | μακιαβελικός makiavelikós |
| Русский | макиавеллистический makiavellističeskij |
Talk about this word "machiavellian." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/machiavellian. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. machiavellian. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/machiavellian "machiavellian." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/machiavellian.Cite this
@misc{machiavellian_2026,
title = {machiavellian},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/machiavellian},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
