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

His artwork often puts a spotlight on serious issues such as school shootings, the drug epidemic and human trafficking. —Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 7 Aug. 2025

The scammers, who may be victims of human trafficking or extortion themselves, use romance baiting tactics to ensnare victims on these platforms. —PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2025

The data includes administrative arrests, in which immigrants arrested face deportation, not criminal arrests for human trafficking or similar crimes. —Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2025

Mary Graw Leary is a Professor of Law at the Catholic University of America focusing on criminal law and human trafficking and a former state and federal prosecutor. —Mary Graw Leary, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

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