Machiavellian

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Marked by a focus on self-interest, often employing deceit and manipulation for personal or political advantage
2. Relating to the pursuit of power through cunning and unethical means, frequently disregarding moral considerations
3. Showing clever but unethical planning to achieve personal or political goals ; connected with tactics involving secretive and dishonest methods to gain power

Etymology: Niccolò Machiavelli was a Florentine diplomat and political writer, and his name became an adjective only because of the reputation his book earned after his death. Published in 1532, five years after he died, "The Prince" advised rulers that holding power might require deceit, cruelty and a willingness to break promises. Readers across Europe were scandalised, and the book's notoriety turned his surname into shorthand for the cynical pursuit of power. The adjective is formed simply by adding the suffix "-ian", as in "Italian" or "Shakespearean", to his name, giving a word that describes conduct resembling the advice in that book. Its meaning has since broadened beyond politics to cover any scheming, self-serving manipulation, so a person can be called Machiavellian in a boardroom or a family argument just as readily as in a royal court.

Synonyms: cunning, scheming, devious, crafty, calculating

Antonyms: naive, unassuming, honest, genuine, forthright