Synonyms

hate crime

American

noun

a crime, usually violent, motivated by prejudice or intolerance toward an individual’s national origin, ethnicity, skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

hate crime British

noun

a crime, esp of violence, in which the victim is targeted because of his or her race, religion, sexuality, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

hate crimes

plural

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

hate crime

In California, reported hate crime rates are down 3.4% from 2024, but hate crimes involving racial or ethnic bias have increased by 6.2%, according to the 2025 Hate Crime in California report.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

"We are actively investigating this as a hate crime," San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl told reporters.

From Barron's ● May 18, 2026

The government commissioned a review of public order and hate crime legislation last year that was expected in February, but is yet to be published.

From BBC ● May 1, 2026

In 2019, he took heat from other Jersey political leaders for quickly condemning a deadly local shooting at a kosher grocery store as a hate crime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

“I assume this qualifies as a hate crime and that the police will be pursuing every lead with all their formidable resources?”

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023