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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The stereotypes of casting Latinos as criminals on screen persisted, with one in four immigrant characters cast in roles involving drug dealing, smuggling, and human trafficking. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 17 June 2026 Washington — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday appointed Alessandra Serano, a longtime federal prosecutor, to serve as the Justice Department's national coordinator on human trafficking and child exploitation cases. Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 17 June 2026 Authorities across the region have linked the group to human trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, contract killings, drug trafficking and migrant smuggling. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026 As the centenary of the global treaty to end slavery approaches, leaders must stop viewing human trafficking as an adjacent social cause and start treating it as part of our collective human wellbeing. Nicole F. Roberts, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for human trafficking

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of human trafficking was in 1904

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Human trafficking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20trafficking. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

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
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