Associations to the word «Machiavellianism»

Wiktionary

MACHIAVELLIANISM, noun. A political philosophy, based on the writings of Machiavelli, especially The Prince, that advocates the use of ruthlessness and duplicity in political dealings.
MACHIAVELLIANISM, noun. A political maneuver that exemplifies the philosophy.
MACHIAVELLIANISM, noun. Any ruthless, duplicitous behavior.

Dictionary definition

MACHIAVELLIANISM, noun. The political doctrine of Machiavelli: any means (however unscrupulous) can be used by a ruler in order to create and maintain his autocratic government.

Wise words

Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.
Nathaniel Hawthorne