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 After a century unsolved, the Villisca axe murders have become the stuff of ghost tour fodder — the type of local legend in a small Midwestern community that gives children nightmares and inspires true crime sleuths to try to find the missing pieces of the puzzle. —

Sean Neumann, People.com, 13 Oct. 2024 But could their treatment change the way people approach true crime stories? —

Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2024 The company’s true crime podcasts, which range from the slightly unnerving to absolutely terrifying, are heart-stoppingly entertaining, according to listener reviews. —

Spenser Mestel, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Oct. 2024 Santry compared her situation throughout her video series to a true crime documentary. —

Conor Murray, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 Experts have suggested people’s desire to sleuth — which at times can spread false allegations and misinformation — is a symptom of the internet’s obsession with true crime and its desire to engage in gossip. —

Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 4 Oct. 2024 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 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.