hate speech

American  

[hayt speech] / ˈheɪt ˌspitʃ /

noun

1. speech, writing, or nonverbal communication that attacks, threatens, or insults a person or group on the basis of national origin, ethnicity, skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

   The racist graffiti was condemned as hate speech.

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hate speech British  

noun

1. speech disparaging a racial, sexual, or ethnic group or a member of such a group

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Etymology

Origin of hate speech

First recorded in 1935–40

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hate speech

But those statements generally involved the company’s supposed efforts to cleanse its platform of hate speech, misinformation and incitements to violence rather than claims about privacy protections.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

Instagram’s terms of service prohibit intellectual property violations, spam, illegal content, hate speech, bullying and abuse, self-injury, graphic violence and inappropriate imagery that may include nudity or sexual content.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Kraft, who is Jewish, confirmed he banned the US rapper from performing at Gillette, accusing Macklemore of hate speech and antisemitic rhetoric.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

And in June, in an unprecedented move in Latin America, a Brazilian court tightened regulations on digital platforms regarding their role in spreading disinformation and hate speech.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

“I’ll be pressuring them to have some kind of schoolwide discussion on diversity and the dangers of hate speech like this.”

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

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