Skip to main content

Machiavellian Victory

Some people say they beat a case in court. There is no such thing as going to court and beating a case, you're still going to lose money every time you enter a courtroom even if the DA/prosecuting team isn't guaranteed a conviction to go on your record, if you haven't already served at least a few weeks in jail for a charge you didn't get convicted of. As long as the machine/system is what you're fighting, what you call a win or beating a case is really just breaking even by not losing everything, and you're always going to lose at least some of your money to part of the machine/system, no matter what. Though that would discourage a lot of people, it doesn't mean that no fight is worth fighting, even if there is no winning in the end.
Machiavellian Victory is a struggle with a Machiavellian force (a Machiavellian prince or princess, a part of the machine) where you don't lose everything for once.
Urban Dictionary Merch
Your favorite words on things you can wear, drink from, read, or give to a friend.
The Urban Dictionary Store sells gifts you’ll have to explain.

Machiavellian victory

Something that seems like a win for everybody involved that doesn't lose everything, though they're often not actually getting/keeping everything, and are actually slowly losing little by little over a long period of time.
People thought it was a Machiavellian victory when a few houses in their neighborhood were burned down or gentrified, then a few more houses and neighbors were lost, and lost everything in the process, then a few more, until finally there was nothing left of what was once their neighborhood. The machine, and the people that were part of the machine took it from them, and they let it slip away from them without ever wak8ng up to fight for it.

Machiavellian victory

A win for everybody that was never really a win for anybody, since at least one person, if not everybody, lost something to the machine/system, or someone that was part of the machine/system. Disney was/is a master of Machiavellian principles, since people feel like they gain something by waiting in a line at Disneyland/Disney World for 45 minutes of their time instead of an hour of their time. Really it's Disney that gains from this, since people think Disney has a real concern for their families, and not for the Disney reputation and lost dollar signs that would come with any damage to the Disney reputation.
It would be a Machiavellian Victory if one of the two buildings was demolished, or if 4 or 5 of your 10 neighbors homes burned to the ground and yours didn't, you feel like you kept or even gained something by not losing everything, but half of your neighborhood is lost forever and half your neighbors lost everything. So, a Machiavellian victory is when people feel like everybody won because they didn't lose everything, when really just one person or entity actually gained/benefitted from what actually hzppened. Really most wars have casualties, so they are Machiavellian victories if your country doesn't lose a war, since somebody somewhere still lost a family member. Life is a matter of what you lose and not what you win or gain.
More from Urban Dictionary

briefcake 

"Did you check out the briefcake in courtroom C?"
briefcake by Ben Frey April 6, 2006
Word of the Day on November 3, 2026
Brought to public attention by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in the book on the fall of Richard Nixon, All The President’s Men, ratfucker was Nixon’s term for a political operative who sows chaos among opponents; an agent provocateur. It is thought to have originated among campus political rivalries at USC, and seems to have some usage in the US military.
Along with Nixon’s other ratfuckers, Roger Stone caused fights at otherwise peaceful Democratic Party protests to generate a false narrative that the Democrats were violent and dangerous.
Ratfucker by Ricky Ramjet November 2, 2017
Word of the Day on November 2, 2026

countrypolitan 

Term used to describe someone who is a mix of both rural (country) and urban (metropolitan) lifestyles/upbringings. He/she is typically equally comfortable in both settings and is able to seamlessly slip back and forth between the two, appreciating the characteristics of each.
That ol' gal of mine drives the 12 lane freeway during the week and a John Deere on the weekends. She likes opra and the Grand Ol' Opry. I love them countrypolitan women.
countrypolitan by MOChick November 7, 2006
Word of the Day on November 1, 2026

Witch Bath 

A bath consisting of a variety of slats, oils, soaps or any other added ingredients such as fruits, milks, herbs or any other spices for health or beautifying benifits.
She brought home alot of stuff and took it to the bathroom. She must be taking a witch bath.
Witch Bath by carnieboy30 October 26, 2020
Word of the Day on October 31, 2026
Load more