# Machiavellian

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˌmæk.i.əˈvɛl.i.ən/ · frequency rank #51,836

## Definitions
1. Attempting to achieve goals by cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous methods, especially in politics.
2. Related to the philosophical system of Niccolò Machiavelli.

## Etymology
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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/machiavellian