Mach ‧ i ‧ a ‧ vel ‧ li, Nic ‧ co ‧ lò /ˌmækiəˈveli, ˈnɪkələʊ/ BrE AmE
(1469–1527) an Italian political ↑ philosopher who is best known for his book The Prince , in which he explains how political leaders can cleverly use other people in order to gain power and keep it