Meanings
plural Galileo gambits
- Purposeful attraction of criticism or ridicule for the purpose of portraying one's argument as oppressed and therefore correct. Also, the argument that one is correct due to such opposition.
Near-synonym: Galileo fallacy
1 more example
That old liar pulled a Galileo gambit and made sure everyone would hate him so he could claim he was just a persecuted free thinker.
Synonyms: Galileo fallacy
Synonyms & antonyms
nounPurposeful attraction of criticism or ridicule for the purpose of portraying one's argument as oppressed and therefore correct. Also, the argument that one is correct due to such opposition.
Origin
Compound of Galileo + gambit (“stratagem, tactic”). Named after Galileo Galilei, who was persecuted by the Church for his beliefs.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Galileo gambit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Galileo%20gambit
“Galileo gambit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Galileo%20gambit. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Galileo gambit,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Galileo%20gambit.
Source: Galileo gambit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.