Murphy's Law

noun

the facetious proposition that if something can go wrong, it will.

Murphy's law

noun

informal.
another term for Sod's law

Murphy's Law

A rule that states, “If something can go wrong, it will.” An addition to this law reads, “and usually at the worst time.” The identity of “Murphy” is unknown, but the saying was first used during the 1940s and may have originated with members of the armed forces in World War II .

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Murphy's Law¹

An Americanism dating to 1950–55; named after Edward A. Murphy, Jr., (1918–90), an American aerospace engineer who worked on safety systems

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Murphy's Law¹

C20: of uncertain origin

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Idioms and Phrases

If anything can go wrong, it will, as in We may think we've covered all the details for the benefit, but remember Murphy's law . The identity of Murphy, if ever a real person, is unknown. Some think it alludes to (but was not invented by) a feckless Irishman named Murphy. [c. 1940]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Byrne stars as Linda, a woman looking Murphy’s Law dead in the eye and screaming in its face.

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Sampson called the final two minutes of regulation “Murphy’s Law,” with missed free throws and the ball bouncing everywhere.

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The county agreed to a $20 million settlement with Green’s family, which also was represented by Murphy’s law firm.

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Since the show concluded, Musso has voiced a character in another Disney series, Milo Murphy's Law, and appeared in films Sins of our Youth and The Sand.

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For example, this might seem like a good time to save a few bucks by getting rid of your renter’s policy, but Murphy’s Law is just waiting to kick you when you’re down.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Murphy-O'Connor murra

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