Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

human trafficking

noun

Definition of human trafficking

  1. :  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)

Explore Merriam-Webster

alt-59245a1009b19
Trending: Brennan: Concerns of Russian Efforts to 'suborn'
alt-5924736949123
Does This Common Computer Term Actually Reference Shoes?
image1694077559
Which Is The Correct Plural Spelling? (It's a Trick Question)
decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

1904

First Known Use of human trafficking

1904

Law Dictionary

human trafficking

noun

Legal Definition of human trafficking

  1. :  the business of inducing a person to perform labor or engage in prostitution through force, fraud, or coercion — see also labor trafficking, sex trafficking

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up human trafficking? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

malleable

play

capable of being altered or controlled

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. suborn "to induce secretly to do an unlawful thing"

  2. nutjob 'a mentally unbalanced person'

  3. collusion 'Secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose'

  4. counsel Is it 'council' or 'counsel'?

  5. witch hunt Lookups spiked after Trump used the word in a tweet

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

human trafficking

WORD GAMES

Take a 3-minute break and test your skills!

  • peter-bruegel-tower-of-babel-painting
  • What language does pajama come from?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Bee Cubed

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

image1694077559
Plural Words With Multiple Spellings

Multiple spellings for "multiple" words.

alt-5924736949123
Does This Common Computer Term Actually Reference Shoes?

These reboots were made for walking

alt-592453dea3986
Read on to Become Part of the Dictionary 'Illuminati'

Secrets will be revealed.

alt-592333459542f
How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

"I bow to you"

Ask the Editors

decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Language changes

serial-comma
The Serial Comma

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

peter-bruegel-tower-of-babel-painting
Where in the World? A Quiz

Do you know what languages these words come from?

Take the quiz
wide-eyed-dog-smelling-rose
What's that Smell?! Quiz

Words for odors and such...

Take the quiz
Name That Thing
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz
Bee Cubed
Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game