These terms have legal meanings. Terrorism is defined by the Terrorism Act 2000 to mean where the use or threat of violence is "designed to influence the government or an international governmental organisation or to intimidate the public or a section of the public, and the use or threat is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious racial or ideological cause."

Hate crimes are defined as being motivated by hostility to certain protected characteristics, such as race, religion, sexual orientation or gender, or disability.