- present participle of traffic.
trafficking
Americannoun
-
the practice of dealing or trading in a commodity or service, often an illegal one.
drug trafficking.
Etymology
Origin of trafficking
First recorded in 1530–40; traffic ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The police will now try to establish whether the people arrested include victims of human trafficking.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
However, officials have not offered definitive evidence that the vessels targeted are involved in trafficking.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
She says she would expand intelligence-sharing with Washington, work with U.S. agencies and the Coast Guard against drug trafficking and coordinate with Colombia to dismantle criminal groups on the border.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
She called on Ukraine and the leaders of other countries whose citizens were trafficked to provide evidence of this "human trafficking" to prosecute those responsible.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
But her fight against child marriage and her advocacy to end human trafficking are changing the world.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
