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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
Listen to this article The two dozen Chinese migrants rounded up in a human trafficking bust in Coral Gables this week apparently were headed to Orlando, according to federal court documents filed Wednesday.
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Silas Morgan, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2025
Police in the region reported the organization has victimized thousands through extortion, drug and human trafficking, kidnapping and murder.
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Rafael Romo, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
Congressional reluctance to take a clear stand on the prevention of human trafficking has been underscored by its failure to reauthorize the latest iteration of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which has been languishing for more than three years despite bipartisan claims of support for it.
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Lori L. Cohen, New York Daily News, 28 Jan. 2025
Inside a cartel's human-smuggling operation The TBI received nearly 1,300 human trafficking tips in 2022, according to a report.
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Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
1904, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of human trafficking was
in 1904
Dictionary Entries Near human trafficking
Cite this Entry
“Human trafficking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20trafficking. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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
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