slave trade
noun
: trafficking of enslaved people
especially, in U.S. 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
The interviewees are thus able to articulate not only the contemporary political milieu and Glaswegians’ famous (and early) support for Nelson Mandela, but the dark past of their own city as a hub of the Transatlantic slave trade.
—
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
The Compromise allowed for California’s entry into the Union as a free state, and outlawed the slave trade (but not slavery itself) in the District of Columbia.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
Some 500 years later — in between which came the turpitude and disruption of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism — African countries are seeking to once again prioritize building trade between themselves, seeing it as essential to boosting their collective role in the global economy.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The story of resistance begins in Africa, where the slave trade itself originates.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slave trade
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.
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
The Compromise allowed for California’s entry into the Union as a free state, and outlawed the slave trade (but not slavery itself) in the District of Columbia.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
Some 500 years later — in between which came the turpitude and disruption of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism — African countries are seeking to once again prioritize building trade between themselves, seeing it as essential to boosting their collective role in the global economy.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The story of resistance begins in Africa, where the slave trade itself originates.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slave trade
Cite this Entry
“Slave trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slave%20trade. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
