Meaning & use
Machiavellian
Last updated
Cunning, scheming, and willing to use deceit to achieve power or one's goals.
See it in a sentence
The senator's Machiavellian maneuvering secured her the committee chair at her rival's expense.
Critics called the CEO's boardroom takeover a Machiavellian power play.
A note on using this word
Derived from the Italian political writer Niccolò Machiavelli; commonly capitalized even though it functions as an ordinary adjective.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
honeststraightforward
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