- 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 route would pass through Libya, a country with a "huge vacuum of government", according to Anthony Dunkerley, a UN adviser who has investigated human trafficking there.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
"We can expect displacement sites and cities to flood. Every gap in our response is a gap that armed groups, trafficking networks and despair will fill," Goodstein said.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
For years, the U.S. refrained from investigating sitting politicians in its fight against drug trafficking, preferring to target cartel leaders.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Last month, she was told by the Home Office there were "reasonable grounds" to believe she had been a victim of modern slavery and trafficking and that it would investigate her case further.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 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.
