Machiavelli

American

[mak-ee-uh-vel-ee, mah-kyah-vel-lee] / ˌmæk i əˈvɛl i, ˌmɑ kyɑˈvɛl li /

noun

Niccolò di Bernardo 1469–1527, Italian statesman, political philosopher, and author.

Machiavelli British

/ ˌmækɪəˈvɛlɪ /

noun

Niccolò (nikkoˈlɔ). 1469–1527, Florentine statesman and political philosopher; secretary to the war council of the Florentine republic (1498–1512). His most famous work is Il Principe ( The Prince, 1532)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On a campus where expectations outpace reality, the 75 minutes Mr. Mansfield devoted to Machiavelli or Hobbes felt special.

From The Wall Street Journal

Last month, a professor and a prominent alum were sharing a ride to Boston for a weekend seminar about Machiavelli.

From The Wall Street Journal

The cast of Renaissance characters is also large and somewhat ungainly, populated with outsize historical players that include Michelangelo, Savonarola, Raphael, Niccolò Machiavelli, Cesare Borgia, various popes, assorted Medicis and many more.

From Los Angeles Times

As Machiavelli warned, the ruler must not be taken in by flatterers.

From Salon

Fans can also hit the other Machiavelli bistro that opened in downtown Edmonds in December.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023