slave trade

noun

: trafficking of enslaved people

especially, in US history : the business or practice of capturing, transporting, selling, and buying enslaved African people for profit prior to the American Civil War

Examples of slave trade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2007, the country marked the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade by celebrating the work of William Wilberforce and his allies, who spent 20 years convincing Parliament to outlaw the trade in human beings. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

London — Britain’s King Charles III will begin a tour of the Caribbean Tuesday as pressure mounts on Britain to apologize and pay reparations for its role in the slave trade. — Rupert Neate, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026

The conversation about Britain’s role in the slave trade isn’t one that’s likely to stop. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 5 Oct. 2026

Colin Kaepernick doubled down on his comparison of the NFL to the slave trade during a podcast interview with former ESPN commentator Ryan Clark this week. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1701, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for slave trade

• accolade
• ambuscade
• antegrade
• balustrade
• barricade
• cannonade
• cavalcade
• centigrade
• chambermaid
• colonnade
• countertrade
• disobeyed