Godwin's Law

American  

[god-winz law] / ˈgɒd wɪnz ˈlɔ /

noun

1. an adage of internet culture stating that as any discussion or debate grows longer, there is a proportionate increase in the probability that someone will invoke a comparison to Hitler or the Nazi party.

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Etymology

Origin of Godwin's Law

Named after U.S. lawyer and author Mike Godwin (born 1956), who formulated the adage in 1991

Example Sentences

Back in the early days of the internet, there was a thing called Godwin's Law which held that "as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches."

From Salon • Dec. 18, 2023

Such laziness led to an adage called Godwin’s Law: The longer an online discussion continues, the greater the likelihood of comparisons with Nazis and Hitler.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 4, 2022

But recent academic research makes a bold claim: Godwin’s Law does not work in practice.

From Slate • Jan. 24, 2022

On the one hand, Godwin’s Law is a somewhat-whimsical reminder that internet conversations can escalate quickly.

From Slate • Jan. 24, 2022

Godwin's Law thus practically guarantees the existence of an upper bound on thread length in those groups.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.