The term hate crime is instinctively understood across policy and practice domains, but is defined differently across contexts. Whilst it is accepted that a standard universal and internationally accepted definition of a hate crime is not possible or desirable, I will seek to create common definitional boundaries for the term hate crime, which allows for jurisdictional flexibility whilst retaining a common core of understanding. In doing so, I will set out the parameters of the concept, and then articulate the reasons for excluding particular manifestations of targeted hostility from its remit. I will finally describe the core constituent elements of a hate crime, and move towards a proposal for definitional boundaries for the term hate crime that applicable across scholarly and policy domains.