hate crime

noun

Synonyms of hate crimenext
: 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
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The banner was quickly removed, and police said the incident is being investigated, possibly as a hate crime. Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026 Rodriguez was initially indicted on hate crime and murder charges and in February, federal prosecutors issued a superseding indictment charging him with terrorism charges. Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 15 May 2026 Prosecutors said Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn in 2022 and began repeatedly encouraging others to commit hate crimes and other acts of violence. Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026 Three men accused of attacking two Israeli-American men outside a Santana Row restaurant in March were arraigned on assault charges Wednesday afternoon but will not face hate crime charges for the encounter that garnered national headlines. Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hate crime

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hate crime was in 1960

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hate crime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hate%20crime. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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

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