hate speech

[ heyt speech ]

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.

hate speech

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hate speech¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

The initial wave of internet regulation in Africa mostly targeted users, with hate speech and misinformation laws as well as the imposition of digital taxes.

From Quartz

The protection from legal liability proved essential to the explosive growth of the internet platforms, allowing them to remove posts that contained hate speech and other graphic material that might drive away users or advertisers.

From ProPublica

As a moderator for a Reddit community notorious for its hate speech and loose talk of violence, Williams bristled at some of the casual racism but also at Reddit’s enforcement actions for policy violations, he said.

From Washington Post

Major social-media platforms already have AI tools to flag hate speech or false information.

From Science News For Students

They’re trained on the language of the internet, including the dark corners of Reddit and Twitter that may include hate speech and disinformation.

From MIT Technology Review

So why are we continually inundated with images and hate speech perpetuating this harmful lie?

From The Daily Beast

Koreans living in Japan suffer the brunt of racism and hate speech, and their situation is complex.

From The Daily Beast

If hate-speech becomes a crime, she may be in charge of overseeing the police that enforce the law.

From The Daily Beast

A Facebook page called “I Report Wilders [for Hate Speech]” has collected 98,000 likes.

From The Daily Beast

A Supreme Court Case would ultimately pit the right to assembly against the right to be free from hate speech.

From The Daily Beast