human trafficking

noun

: organized criminal activity in which human beings are treated as possessions to be controlled and exploited (as by being forced into sex work or involuntary labor)

Examples of human trafficking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Authorities have also made multiple arrests of foreign nationals for drug and human trafficking offences. Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 20 May 2026 Lee plays Lee, a martial artist recruited by British intelligence to infiltrate the island drug and human trafficking ring operated by Han (Shih Kien) under the guise of a martial arts tournament. David Faris, TheWeek, 20 May 2026 Federal authorities describe TdA as a sprawling transnational organization involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, and killings across Latin America and increasingly inside the United States. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 15 May 2026 Most recently, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has suggested that surrogacy is human trafficking and constitutes modern-day slavery. Ann Marie Luft, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for human trafficking

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of human trafficking was in 1904

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Cite this Entry

“Human trafficking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20trafficking. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

human trafficking

noun
: organized criminal activity in which human beings are treated as possessions to be controlled and exploited (as by being forced into prostitution or involuntary labor)

Legal Definition

human trafficking

noun
: the business of inducing a person to perform labor or engage in prostitution through force, fraud, or coercion see also labor trafficking, sex trafficking
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