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Machiavellian

Definitions of Machiavellian

  1. (adjective) The use of amoral, cunning, deceitful, scheming, or unscrupulous methods, particularly in one’s career or politics.
  2. (adjective) Of or relating to Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527) or Machiavellianism.

Examples of Machiavellian

Machiavellian Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: ma·chi·a·vel·li·an

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /mak-ee-uh-vEl-ee-uhn/
  • British English – /mak-iuh-vE-liuhn/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˌmɑkiəˈvɛliən/
  • British English – /ˌmækɪəˈvɛlɪən/

Usage Notes

Additional Information


Cite the Definition of Machiavellian

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2015. “machiavellian.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved March 29, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/machiavellian/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

machiavellian. (2015). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/machiavellian/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2015. “machiavellian.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/machiavellian/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“machiavellian.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2015. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/machiavellian/>.