Machiavellian

adjective

ˌma-kē-ə-ˈve-lē-ən How to pronounce Machiavellian (audio)
Definition of Machiavelliannext
as in immoral
not guided by or showing a concern for what is right yet another tale of a power-mad dictator with a Machiavellian plan to take over the world

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for Machiavellian
  1. immoral
  2. ruthless
  3. corrupt
  4. unscrupulous
  5. unprincipled
Adjective
  • This term was derived from bawd, which referred to someone who encouraged immoral or promiscuous behavior, particularly a procuress or pimp.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
  • Some senior officers mistakenly believe that the military is obligated to resist orders that are unethical or immoral.
    Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2024
Definition of immoral
Adjective
  • Peyser covered the high-profile trial for the Post as a columnist, spending every day in court in order to produce a series of ruthless front-page takes about the Stewart scandal.
    David Mack, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
  • The standoff between Blanche’s impractical aestheticism and Stanley’s ruthless pragmatism is the heart of this quintessentially American drama.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Definition of ruthless
Adjective
  • Others, such as Sri Lanka, have oscillated back and forth, with more democratic presidents and corrupt populist autocrats alternating as leaders.
    Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Activists began showing up at election-board meetings with signs calling Lindsey corrupt.
    Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024
Definition of corrupt
Adjective
  • The Electoral College has not worked as Dickinson hoped, to protect the people from unscrupulous politicians.
    Jane E. Calvert / Made by History, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024
  • Understand that sometimes, unscrupulous companies don't follow the rules.
    Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 18 Oct. 2024
Definition of unscrupulous
Adjective
  • All of this coincided with a period of unprincipled practices in the media.
    Meg Walters, Glamour, 20 Nov. 2024
  • And if an unprincipled president began his tenure by firing senior military officers for partisan political reasons, the military would lose trust in the executive branch and tensions would grow between the two sides.
    Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2024
Definition of unprincipled
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near Machiavellian

machetes

Machiavellian

machinate

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Machiavellian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Machiavellian. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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