The interdisciplinary field of hate studies is characterised by ongoing debates about what qualifies as hateful behaviour. For example, some argue that only criminalised acts should be classified as hate crimes, while others believe that non-criminalised behaviour should also be considered. Debates about the definition and identification of the ‘hate’ element are often also encumbered by the use of disparate terminological and conceptual categories across different disciplines, contributing to difficulties in building robust empirical and methodological frameworks for establishing cumulative knowledge. This chapter aims to summarise several key debates in this field and present two novel frameworks for categorising different perspectives on defining and identifying hateful behaviour. By applying our frameworks to criminalised and non-criminalised incidents discussed in Australian legal documents, we aim to provide a foundation for future policy, research, and practice by facilitating the categorisation and measurement of different forms of hate.