Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Based on or recounting an actual crime.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word true-crime.

Examples

  • Most of the surviving newsmagazines, such as NBC's own Dateline, depend on true-crime stories, hidden-camera investigations and tabloid-worthy interviews to remain competitive.

    The Biz: NBC's Newsmag Gamble 2011

  • But they could nix the true-crime stuff — the murders in "Open House," Eric Stonestreet's turn in "Piggy Piggy" — and not miss a beat.

    Fall TV Report Card: How Is the New Class Doing? 2011

  • Cloo's first original true-crime series, Killer Instinct premieres 9/8c, stars retired FBI profiler Mark Safarik as he recreates notorious cases, giving his insights into the criminal mind.

    Matt's Guide to Weekend TV 2011

  • "I'm untouchable, bitch." — Words that may haunt Rob Lowe to his grave, a campy high/low point of Lifetime's true-crime trash wallow hit Drew Peterson: Untouchable.

    Matt's TV Week in Review 2012

  • Even OWN is getting into the true-crime thing, though naturally with a more emotional twist, launching Confronting 10/9c, a docu-series about prison mediation in which victims and offenders come face to face.

    Matt's Guide to Weekend TV 2011

  • That pattern is often the main theme of the book or comic or true-crime story, and it becomes the spine on which our screenplay will hang.

    Script Tip: Kill Your Darlings Christopher Markus 2011

  • In the gripping title story, Oates boldly reimagines the true-crime story of Andrea Yates, the Texas mother who drowned her children in 2001.

    Dear Husband by Joyce Carol Oates: Book summary 2010

  • Yet despite the true-crime gossip and influx of cash-and-flash, names like Phipps, Boardman, Fanjul and Hanley still carry substantial weight.

    Palm Beach, Fla.: Exclusively Yours 2011

  • Whether it's a novel or a short story, a true-crime tale or 70 years' worth of comic books, the first job is distillation.

    Script Tip: Kill Your Darlings Christopher Markus 2011

  • The biggest TV news of the night comes from a network's news division, as NBC News launches Rock Center With Brian Williams 10/9c, the first high-profile network newsmagazine with serious intent to premiere in a long while, closer in tone to 60 Minutes than Dateline's lurid true-crime fixation.

    Critic's Guide to Monday TV: Rock Center, Halloween Marathons, and More! 2011

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.