If you describe someone as Machiavellian, you are critical of them because they often make clever and secret plans to achieve their aims and are not honest with people.
[disapproval]
...Machiavellian republicans plotting to destabilise the throne.
...the Machiavellian and devious way decisions were made.
A Machiavellian plot was suspected.
Synonyms: scheming, cynical, shrewd, cunning More Synonyms of Machiavellian
Machiavellian in British English
or Machiavelian (ˌmækɪəˈvɛlɪən)
adjective(sometimes not capital)
1.
of or relating to the alleged political principles of Machiavelli; cunning, amoral, and opportunist
noun
2.
a cunning, amoral, and opportunist person, esp a politician
Derived forms
Machiavellianism (ˌMachiaˈvellianism) or Machiavellism (ˌMachiaˈvellism)
noun
Machiavellist (ˌMachiaˈvellist)
adjective, noun
Machiavellian in American English
(ˌmækiəˈvɛliən; ˌ mɑkiəˈvɛliən; ˌmækiəˈvɛljən)
adjective
1.
of Machiavelli
2.
of, like, or characterized by the political principles and methods of expediency, craftiness, and duplicity set forth in Machiavelli's book, The Prince; crafty, deceitful, etc.
noun
3.
a follower of such principles and methods
Derived forms
Machiavellianism (ˌMachiaˈvellianˌism)
noun
Examples of 'Machiavellian' in a sentence
Machiavellian
I really don't believe Caroline is part of some Machiavellian plot against me involving motorbikes and dead gangsters.
Val McDermid THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)
I made no attempt to argue because by that time my thoughts had returned to Lyle's Machiavellian machinations.
Howatch, Susan ABSOLUTE TRUTHS (2002)
What kind of Machiavellian patience would make a man spend so many years bringing about another's ruin.
Spellman, Cathy Cash PAINT THE WIND (2002)
Definition of 'Machiavellian'
Additional synonyms
in the sense of cunning
Definition
clever at deceiving
He's a cunning, devious, good-for-nothing so-and-so.
Synonyms
crafty,
knowing,
sly,
devious,
artful,
sharp,
subtle,
tricky,
shrewd,
astute,
canny,
wily,
Machiavellian,
shifty (informal),
foxy,
guileful
in the sense of deceitful
Definition
full of deceit
The ambassador called the report deceitful and misleading.
Synonyms
dishonest,
false,
deceiving,
fraudulent,
treacherous,
deceptive,
hypocritical,
counterfeit,
crafty,
sneaky,
illusory,
two-faced,
disingenuous,
untrustworthy,
underhand,
insincere,
double-dealing,
duplicitous,
fallacious,
guileful,
knavish (archaic)
in the sense of designing
Definition
cunning and scheming
the wily cunning of a designing hypocrite
Synonyms
scheming,
plotting,
intriguing,
crooked (informal),
shrewd,
conspiring,
cunning,
sly,
astute,
treacherous,
unscrupulous,
devious,
wily,
crafty,
artful,
conniving,
Machiavellian,
deceitful
in the sense of double-dealing
Slimy, double-dealing politicians have betrayed us all.
Synonyms
treacherous,
lying,
cheating,
tricky,
crooked (informal),
fraudulent,
two-timing (informal),
dishonest,
hypocritical,
wily,
swindling,
sneaky,
two-faced,
deceitful,
untrustworthy,
duplicitous,
perfidious (literary),
underhanded
in the sense of foxy
Definition
of or resembling a fox, esp. in craftiness
He had wary, foxy eyes.
Synonyms
crafty,
knowing,
sharp,
tricky,
shrewd,
cunning,
sly,
astute,
canny,
devious,
wily,
artful,
guileful
in the sense of perfidious
Definition
treacherous or deceitful
She says that politicians are a perfidious breed.
Synonyms
treacherous,
dishonest,
false,
corrupt,
unfaithful,
two-faced,
disloyal,
deceitful,
faithless,
untrustworthy,
double-dealing,
traitorous,
double-faced,
treasonous,
recreant (archaic)
in the sense of shrewd
Definition
intelligent and making good judgments
She's a shrewd businesswoman.a shrewd guess
Synonyms
astute,
clever,
sharp,
knowing,
fly (slang),
keen,
acute,
smart,
calculated,
calculating,
intelligent,
discriminating,
cunning,
discerning,
sly,
canny,
perceptive,
wily,
crafty,
artful,
far-sighted,
far-seeing,
long-headed (rare),
perspicacious (formal),
sagacious (formal)
in the sense of sly
Definition
secretive and skilled at deception
He is devious, sly and manipulative.
Synonyms
cunning,
scheming,
devious,
secret,
clever,
subtle,
tricky,
covert,
astute,
wily,
insidious,
crafty,
artful,
furtive,
conniving,
Machiavellian,
shifty (informal),
foxy,
underhand,
stealthy,
guileful
in the sense of underhand
Definition
sly, deceitful, and secretive
The Prime Minister had been involved in underhand financial deals.
Synonyms
sly,
secret,
crooked (informal),
devious,
sneaky,
secretive,
fraudulent,
treacherous,
dishonest,
deceptive,
clandestine,
unscrupulous,
crafty,
unethical,
furtive,
deceitful,
surreptitious,
stealthy,
dishonourable,
below the belt (informal),
underhanded
in the sense of wily
Definition
sly or crafty
He is an experienced and wily old statesman.
Synonyms
cunning,
designing,
scheming,
sharp,
intriguing,
arch,
tricky,
crooked (informal),
shrewd,
sly,
astute,
deceptive,
crafty,
artful,
shifty (informal),
foxy,
cagey (informal),
deceitful,
underhand,
guileful,
fly (slang)
Synonyms of 'Machiavellian'
Machiavellian
Explore 'Machiavellian' in the dictionary
(adjective)
Definition
cleverly deceitful and unscrupulous
the Machiavellian and devious way decisions were made
Synonyms
scheming
a cold, scheming villain
cynical
shrewd
She's a shrewd businesswoman.
a shrewd guess
cunning
He's a cunning, devious, good-for-nothing so-and-so.
designing
the wily cunning of a designing hypocrite
intriguing
sly
He is devious, sly and manipulative.
astute
He made a series of astute business decisions.
unscrupulous
wily
He is an experienced and wily old statesman.
opportunist
crafty
That crafty old devil had taken us all for a ride.
artful
the smiles and artifices of someone subtly artful
amoral
foxy
He had wary, foxy eyes.
deceitful
The ambassador called the report deceitful and misleading.
underhand
The Prime Minister had been involved in underhand financial deals.
double-dealing
Slimy, double-dealing politicians have betrayed us all.