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

Reclaiming the narrative In celebrating all that Black fashion is and represents, the show allows Black designers to reclaim the historical narrative of the Black dandy — a concept dating back to 18th century England, during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. —Lisa Vernon Sparks, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2025

The painting refers to the European migrants who moved to Brazil en masse to work its plantations following the abolition of the slave trade in 1888. —Emi Eleode, ARTnews.com, 27 Feb. 2025

During the slave trade, brandy was replaced with rum which was readily available in the Caribbean. —Essence, 25 Nov. 2024

The demand for cotton goods as part of the trans-Atlantic slave trade played a key role in the rapid industrialization of the city. —Lauren Frayer, NPR, 19 Apr. 2025

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