machiavellian

adjective
UK: /ˌmækiəˈveliən/
US: /ˌmækiəˈviliən/

  1. Using clever lies and tricks in order to get or achieve something.

    1. His Machiavellian tactics helped him win the election easily. [ ] [ ]
    2. She used a Machiavellian strategy, pretending to befriend her rivals only to sabotage their plans. [ ] [ ]

  2. Characterized by cunning, deception, or bad faith.

    1. That was a Machiavellian move, even for him, I think it's bad. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company's Machiavellian scheme to undermine competitors involved spreading false information to the press. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

wily sly manipulative deceitful duplicitous cunning scheming treacherous calculating crafty
machiavellian noun

  1. A person who uses clever lies and tricks to get what they want.

    1. He is a Machiavellian who always gets his way. [ ] [ ]
    2. Only a true Machiavellian could have orchestrated such a complex and deceitful plan to gain control of the company. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "machiavellian" in English means: Using clever lies and tricks in order to get or achieve something., Characterized by cunning, deception, or bad faith..

The phonetic transcription of "machiavellian" is /ˌmækiəˈveliən/ in British English and /ˌmækiəˈviliən/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "machiavellian": wily, sly, manipulative, deceitful, duplicitous, cunning, scheming, treacherous, calculating, crafty.

Example usage of "machiavellian": "His Machiavellian tactics helped him win the election easily.". More examples on the page.