Machiavelli

See also: machiavelli

English

Etymology

Probably from Italian mal- +‎ chiavello, in which the second component is a diminutive of chiavo (“nail”). The name is attested in a Late Latin document in the form Malclavelli.[1]

Proper noun

Machiavelli

  1. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), Italian statesman and writer, whose work The Prince (1532) advises that acquiring and exercising power may require unethical methods.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

Machiavelli (plural Machiavellis)

  1. Someone like Niccolò Machiavelli: a Machiavellian person

References

  1. ^ “Macchiavelli – Origine del Cognome”, in Cognomix‎[1] (in Italian), 9 January 2019 (last accessed)

Italian

Etymology

See English Machiavelli. Sometimes written or spoken as Macchiavelli from false analogy with macchia (“stain”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ma.kjaˈvel.li/
  • Rhymes: -elli
  • Hyphenation: Ma‧chia‧vél‧li

Proper noun

Machiavelli m or f by sense

  1. a surname
    Niccolò Machiavelli
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