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

Galliano, convicted of a hate crime over antisemitic remarks in 2011, has since rebuilt his career and apologized for his behavior. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Galliano, now 65, was convicted of committing two hate crimes in Paris and faced a fine equivalent to $8,500. — Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026

Larry Montes, 46, faces federal and state hate crimes charges. — Ali Bauman, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

The number of antisemitic hate crimes in the city makes up nearly two-thirds of the 360 hate crimes investigated in the city this year, officials said. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 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