Scheming, cunning, and willing to use unethical or deceptive methods to achieve power or goals.
Named after Niccolò Machiavelli, a 16th-century Italian political theorist whose book 'The Prince' advocated pragmatism over morality in politics. The word entered English to describe his philosophy of power through any means necessary.
Machiavelli actually wrote that a leader should appear virtuous while secretly being ruthless—this 500-year-old advice still describes how people scheme in offices, sports, and politics today!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.