hate crime

noun

: any of various crimes (such as assault or defacement of property) when motivated by hostility to the victim as a member of a group (such as one based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability)

Examples of hate crime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Overall confirmed hate crimes in New York City increased almost 13% year to date as compared to last year, with 463 incidents this year compared to 410 last year, according to statistics released by the New York Police Department this month. — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon spawned a wave of anti-Muslim harassment and hate crimes. — Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Anti-Jewish incidents accounted for more than half of the city’s 463 confirmed hate crimes. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

The killings, investigated as a possible hate crime, drew national attention. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hate crime

• aforetime
• allozyme
• anytime
• christmastime
• cybercrime
• dinnertime
• guggenheim
• isozyme
• lysozyme
• maritime
• mesenchyme
• overtime

Kids Definition

hate crime

noun

plural hate crimes

: any of various crimes (as assault) when motivated by hostility to the victim based on social characteristics (as color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin)

Legal Definition

hate crime

noun

: a crime that violates the victim's civil rights and that is motivated by hostility to the victim's race, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender