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
In Season 1, viewers met exotic dancer Kimmie, a victim of abuse and an underground human trafficking operation, as her life deeply intersects with the Bellaires — a wealthy, powerful family running a successful hair care business in Chicago.
—
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
The Baladro sisters are inspired by a real-life group known as Las Poquianchis, four sisters who became infamous in Mexico for running a criminal network of brothels, human trafficking, and murder between the 1940s and 1960s.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Jamon Ward, 33, was arrested last month on charges of human trafficking, pimping, trafficking a minor and pandering, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2025
Right now, under the current leadership in our city, gangs still control our streets, human trafficking goes unchecked and drugs flow through here like the Mississippi River.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for human trafficking
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.
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
The Baladro sisters are inspired by a real-life group known as Las Poquianchis, four sisters who became infamous in Mexico for running a criminal network of brothels, human trafficking, and murder between the 1940s and 1960s.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Jamon Ward, 33, was arrested last month on charges of human trafficking, pimping, trafficking a minor and pandering, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2025
Right now, under the current leadership in our city, gangs still control our streets, human trafficking goes unchecked and drugs flow through here like the Mississippi River.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for human trafficking
Cite this Entry
“Human trafficking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20trafficking. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share