[ ˌmakɪə'vɛlɪən ]
■ adjective cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics.
■ noun (also Machiavelli ) a ~ person.
Derivatives
~ism noun
Origin
from the name of the Italian statesman and writer Niccolò Machiavelli , whose work The Prince (1532) advises that the acquisition and use of power may necessitate unethical methods.