Machiavellize

English

Alternative forms

• machiavellize, Machiavellise, machiavellise

Etymology

Machiavelli +‎ -ize

Verb

Machiavellize (third-person singular simple present Machiavellizes, present participle Machiavellizing, simple past and past participle Machiavellized)

1. To behave in a Machiavellian manner; to be cunning and manipulative.
   • 1983, Geoffrey E. Fox, Organizing the New Immigrants, page 6:

     The boss has the magic of dividing the workers, he 'Machiavellizes. '

   • 1992, Peter S. Donaldson, Machiavelli and Mystery of State, page 149:

     These were the Machiavellisms that the ancient ages produced for us before Machiavelli was in the world, and an infinity of persons Machiavellize among us today who have never read his books.

   • 1999, The American Scholar - Volume 68, page 85:

     D'Aubigne had to admit that "our kings have learnt to Machiavellize."

2. To make Machiavellian.
   • 1987, Eric Bentley, Thinking about the Playwright: Comments from Four Decades:

     Leninism might be defined as the desperate form of Marxism, an attempt to save Marxism by Machiavellizing it, but Marx's own work is in my view also marked by desperation.

   • 1991, Jean-Francois Lyotard, Phenomenology, page 130:

     We must not only claim that violence is ineluctable because the future is open and "being realized," we must also hold that certain types of violence are more justified than others; we must not only agree that the politician never fails to be a Machiavelli, but show as well that history has its ruses, and Machiavellizes the Machiavellis.

   • 2005, Sydney Anglo, Machiavelli - The First Century, page 55:

     Clearly Nifo, generally condemned for having Aristotelized Machiavelli, was not averse to Machiavellizing Aristotle when appropriate.