A term that originated on Usenet, Godwin's Law states that as an online argument grows longer and more heated, it becomes increasingly likely that somebody will bring up Adolf Hitler or the Nazis. When such an event occurs, the person guilty of invoking Godwin's Law has effectively forfieted the argument.
"Dude, shut up. Nobody cares what you think."
"Oh, so now you're trying to censor me? Go to hell, you damn Nazi!"
"Oh, so now you're trying to censor me? Go to hell, you damn Nazi!"
by You Can't Kill the Metal June 5, 2005
Usenet There is a tradition in many groups that, once this occurs, that thread is over, and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever argument was in progress. Godwin's Law thus practically guarantees the existence of an upper bound on thread length in those groups. However there is also a widely- recognized codicil that any intentional triggering of Godwin's Law in order to invoke its thread-ending effects will be unsuccessful.
"As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."
by Anonymous September 9, 2003
by El_Haggis September 9, 2006
"As an internet discussion about Bill O'Reilly grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Falafel or Loofa approaches one."
"So anyway I'd be rubbing your big boobs and getting your nipples really hard, kinda' kissing your neck from behind...and then I would take the other hand with the falafel thing..."
"Aw crap, there goes Diesel's Variation of Godwin's Law."
"Aw crap, there goes Diesel's Variation of Godwin's Law."
by TWL.com July 18, 2008
"Anyone who uses 'woke' as a pejorative will turn out to be a fuckhead."
The law was coined in a 2022 tweet by Mike Godwin.
The law was coined in a 2022 tweet by Mike Godwin.
Person 1: Did they seriously have to make the main character gay? This is forced diversity. I'm tired of all the rampant wokeness in modern media.
Person 2: Godwin's Second Law. You lose.
Person 2: Godwin's Second Law. You lose.
by PersonWhoExists50306 November 27, 2022
Many people know of Godwin's Primary Law; as an arguement becomes more heated, the likely-hood of references to Nazi's and/or Hitler increases. His secondary law is that; as the likely-hood of Nazi's and/or Hitler being mentioned in a thread, in direct reference to his Primary law, increases, so to must the chances of his own law being referred to. This will usually have little effect on the actual thread and will merely result in minor lulz.
Newfag: goddamn Nazi everyone knows Fullmetalalchemist is the most awesome anime EVAR!"111!!!!
4channer1: Lol Godwin's law, you lose.
4channer2: lol Godwin's Second law.
4channer1: LOL
Newfag: Wut?
4channer1: Lol Godwin's law, you lose.
4channer2: lol Godwin's Second law.
4channer1: LOL
Newfag: Wut?
by Roseveare June 17, 2009
Godwin's fourth law is a term created by Godwin fans, not mr. Godwin himself. The term means that the longer you talk with a conservative, the more likely he is to bring cops and soldiers into the discussion, and compare them with the currently debated subject, even if the comparison seems outright impossible or not making any sense at all.
I was talking with John the other day, about these poor abandoned cats at the animal shelter. The guy invoked Godwin's fourth law and said that soldiers aren't treated any better when they come back home. It's hard to understand him sometimes.
by MisterMaximvs August 3, 2017