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

This often leads to migrants finding themselves in an even more dangerous situation; victims trapped in a human trafficking ring who have now lost their freedom. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025

Michigan was among the states with the highest number of human trafficking cases in the U.S. in 2023, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. —Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 31 Dec. 2024

Instead, resources should focus on pragmatic solutions—preventing crime, stopping human trafficking and blocking mere economic migrants while still humanely helping asylum seekers fleeing persecution. —Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

Servers will have to provide proof of the training, which should include curriculum around patron safety, bystander intervention and human trafficking awareness. —Melissa Brown, The Tennessean, 17 Dec. 2024

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