Niccolo Machiavelli

Niccolò Machiavelli was a sixteenth-century Florentine diplomat and political philosopher whose name became synonymous with cunning, amoral statecraft.

His treatise *The Prince* argued that rulers must be willing to act ruthlessly when necessary, prioritizing effective governance over conventional morality.

To call someone Machiavellian is to suggest they are scheming and manipulative: a Machiavellian power grab.