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Synonyms

trafficking

American  
[traf-i-king] / ˈtræf ɪ kɪŋ /

noun

  1. the practice of dealing or trading in a commodity or service, often an illegal one.

    drug trafficking.

  2. human trafficking.

  3. sex 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.

These are all splashed with the slogan "QNET Against Scams" and the company has rejected allegations that it is linked to human trafficking.

From BBC

In September, Kenyan police said they had broken up a suspected "trafficking syndicate" that they said was luring Kenyans with job offers, but sending them to fight in Ukraine.

From BBC

And though Maduro now sits in a jail in Brooklyn facing drug trafficking charges, Suárez said he will not go back to Venezuela.

From Los Angeles Times

The memo, which came to be known as the “abduction opinion,” paved the way for seizing Noriega to face domestic drug trafficking charges.

From The Wall Street Journal

It cautioned Ethiopians, particularly the youth, against the dangers of human trafficking driven by false promises.

From BBC

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.