true crime

noun

: a nonfiction genre of literature, film, podcasts, etc. that depicts and examines real crime cases

Fans of true crime will enjoy this collection of tales from the annals of American justice …—

Jennifer Moore

—usually used before another noun

a true crime podcast/documentary/novel

In each episode, legal and criminal justice experts give you the inside scoop on the most shocking true crime stories … to hit the news.—

LeeAnn Huntoon

As true crime podcasts, TV shows, books and online content continue to prove popular, cases never truly fade from the spotlight.—

Bethany Bruner

Examples of true crime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The documentary is executive produced by Rebecca North, who also worked on Netflix true crime doc American Nightmare, and was produced by Raw, the company that brought us The Tinder Swindler. —

Charley Ross, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2024 One is a true crime, one is a sports thing, one is a horror show out of my brain, one is a tribute to the ABC shows of my youth. —

Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Oct. 2024 Another true crime limited series franchise, The Thing About..., is looking to join the likes of American Crime Story, Monster and Dr. Death. —

Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2024 These include two documentaries, one just after significant festival exposure, the other a salacious true crime story that has already seen one previous film based on a prison escape that happened only two years ago. —

Tom Brueggemann, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2024 Movies Real-life friends Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste on true crime. —

Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024 The executive producer and creator of the Netflix true crime drama, 58, defended his interpretation of Erik, 53, and his 56-year-old brother Lyle Menéndez and their crimes after the former slammed the streamer for its portrayal of their lives. —

Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 24 Sep. 2024 But rather than exploring a viral true crime, this gem follows troubled junior college football players looking at their shot to play Division I and secure a brighter future. —

Megan Vick, EW.com, 24 Sep. 2024 On the list is a true crime book about the Murdaugh murders that made headlines recently and a modern retelling of Mansfield Park. —

Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024

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