variants or less commonly hip hop
1
: a cultural movement associated especially with rap music
2
: the stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rap
also : rap together with this music
hip-hop adjective

Examples of hip-hop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Some in hip-hop — such as Lil Baby — have distanced themselves from Gunna amid the YSL case, with Young Thug still behind bars. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2024 She’s been a XXL Freshman and earned comparisons to hip-hop legends, but the scarcity of her music has halted her classification as a star while insulating her from the scrutiny that comes with a full-length project. Peter A. Berry, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 The next evening, the showcase pivoted in another, no less potent, direction, mixing up hip-hop with innovative sounds from Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, and more. Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 In the '90s, post-bop, hard bop jazz recordings are the foundation of hip-hop sampling. The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024 Legendary Texas rapper Bun B is celebrated not only for his solo career but also as one half of the iconic hip-hop duo, Underground Kingz (UGK). Shelby Stewart, Essence, 14 Mar. 2024 The result was a soulful and at times comedic ride through his life but viewed through a hip-hop lens. Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 13 Mar. 2024 To judge by comments on Rolling Loud’s social media, many fans seem excited - or at least neutral - about West’s comeback performance, which will be a major event in hip-hop no matter what happens onstage. August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 This Philadelphia hip-hop choreographer is a treasure and so are his dances. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hip-hop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from hip entry 2 + hop entry 1

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of hip-hop was in 1979

Dictionary Entries Near hip-hop

Cite this Entry

“Hip-hop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hip-hop. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hip-hop

noun
ˈhip-ˌhäp
: the rhythmic music that often accompanies rap
also : the part of the culture especially of inner-city youths who are typically devotees of rap music

More from Merriam-Webster on hip-hop

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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