variants or less commonly hip hop or hiphop
1
a
: a stylized rhythmic music of African American origin that typically features rapping (see rap entry 6 sense 2) over synthesized beats (see beat entry 2 sense 4d) or sampled tracks
… the first bits of hip-hop were born out of DJs breaking apart funk and disco beats … until all that was left was the percussion, cut up into small, danceable portions for the people in the audience to sweat to.Hanif Abdurraqib
hip hop has become a form reflecting both the beauty and the belly of the beast in American society, refracted through the lens of black American culture.Imani Perry
The music that Charanga plays is … a combination of jazz and rumba spiced with reggae, funk and hiphop.Silvana Paternostro
often used before another noun
hip-hop artists
a hip hop song
b
or hip-hop dance or less commonly hip hop dance or hiphop dance : syncopated dancing typically performed to hip-hop music
For decades, Harris has been swerving away from stereotypes and expectations of hip-hop dance, all while staying true to its roots.Brian Seibert
… an untapped market of people wanting to learn hiphop dance.Nick Vogel
Unlike the verticality of classical dance … hip-hop uses a horizontal body, dissonance, and ragged gesture juxtaposed with a cool, relaxed, laid-back attitude.Karen Lynn Smith
often used before another noun
a hip-hop dance group/crew
… a dance team that performs hip-hop routines at most weekend home games …Gina Cherelus
2
: a cultural movement associated especially with rap music
In one sense, hip-hop had triumphed over America. … No matter the race, class, or geography, the kids wore the same clothes, spoke the same language, listened to the same music.Jeff Chang
In my elementary school years, everyone I knew around my age loved hip-hop. … I loved every aspect of the culture and tried my hand at all of it.Rakim
often used before another noun
the hip-hop generation
Hip hop culture is a four-legged stool, its artistic pillars of deejaying, graffiti art, rapping, and b-boying coming into existence in the early 1970s and each influencing the ways in which the other evolved.Jelani Cobb

Examples of hip-hop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The legendary hip-hop group was accompanied by a plethora of mounting hip-hop fellows and honored with solid tribute highlighting their most renowned hits, including performances by Queen Latifah, De La Soul, The Roots, Common, and Busta Rhymes. Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Our Fearless Forecast Which hip-hop albums will make the final five? Kyle Denis, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2024 Benny, a favorite among hip-hop heads, recently released his Def Jam debut Everybody Can’t Go, while 38 Spesh has stayed a bit more under the radar. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2024 High: Mavi at Crescent Ballroom Mavi brought a daylong hip-hop showcase that had featured several up-and-coming Arizona artists, from KJAD to Psypiritual and Apetight, to a triumphant close at Crescent Ballroom. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hip-hop 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hip-hop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from hip entry 2 + hop entry 1

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hip-hop was in 1979

Dictionary Entries Near hip-hop

Cite this Entry

“Hip-hop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hip-hop. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hip-hop

noun
ˈhip-ˌhäp
: the rhythmic music that often accompanies rap
also : a cultural movement associated especially with rap music

More from Merriam-Webster on hip-hop

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