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

First reported in a July 2024 episode of a Tortoise Media podcast, Scarlett Pavlovich accused Gaiman and Palmer of human trafficking. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 July 2025

This article has been updated to state that Garcia has plead not guilty to human trafficking charges. —James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025

The charges stem from a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop, when prosecutors say Abrego Garcia was found driving eight other passengers with no luggage, which police presumed to be a human trafficking operation. —Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 26 June 2025

An April report from the Department of Homeland Security regarding the incident said Abrego Garcia was suspected of human trafficking, though he was not arrested or charged with any crime. —Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 25 June 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