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

Authorities have not classified the incident as a hate crime, though Trent said the circumstances were troubling given the location and the nature of the materials that were targeted. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 5 June 2026

The incident comes on the heels of new data that shows the number of hate crimes in New York City are up nearly 9% compared to the same time last year. —Adi Guajardo, CBS News, 4 June 2026

The mass murderer, Dylann Roof, received a death sentence after being convicted of 33 federal hate crime and murder charges. —USA Today, 2 June 2026

Officials were also focusing on deterring counterfeit-ticket sellers, drunk driving, fights and hate crimes. —Nathaniel Percy, Daily News, 1 June 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