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

The office's programming extends to other areas as well, including domestic violence, human trafficking and interacting with victims of crimes. —David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025

On April 5, 2024, the civil suit was stayed in deference of a federal criminal investigation into the human trafficking allegations Plaintiffs made. —Naveed Jamali, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025

The Company’s rackets included gambling, human trafficking, marijuana trafficking and labor corruption. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025

But some violent crimes have fallen significantly—homicides by 39%, human trafficking offenses by 26%, and vehicular manslaughters by 75%. —Chantelle Lee, Time, 30 Sep. 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