- 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.
But more than 20 charities in both countries have said the French-British deal inflicts "further harm on people who have already survived war, torture, persecution, violence, human trafficking, and a treacherous sea journey".
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Four women, who use the pseudonyms Isabella, Justine, Elizabeth and Margo and founded the "No One Above" advocacy group, have now been recognised as victims of human trafficking.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
She said her mind leapt to human trafficking, a popular topic in the Facebook groups where she chatted with other surrogates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The law ensures unaccompanied children have legal counsel to represent them in legal proceedings and to protect them from mistreatment, exploitation and trafficking.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
In light of new evidence, Matthias Benedik Helvar is granted full and immediate pardon for all charges of slave trafficking.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
