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

Post-9/11, pervasive anti-Arab sentiment spurred a wave of threats, harassment and hate crimes against those of Middle Eastern and North African descent throughout the Chicago area, with a high concentration of incidents in the southwest suburbs. —Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026

Speaking to reporters Wednesday at the site of the stabbings, Rowley said there had been a rise in racist and antisemitic hate crime. —Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 1 May 2026

Police said officers at the scene completed a report for vandalism and battery with a hate crime involved. —Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026

In the aftermath of 9/11, the country also experienced a massive surge in Islamophobia, with FBI data indicating anti-Muslim hate crimes skyrocketed by 1,600% in 2001. —USA Today, 29 Apr. 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