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

Their cases are part of a broader crackdown on human trafficking, and come in the wake of statewide human trafficking training for law enforcement sponsored by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, which says multiple similar cases remain under investigation. —Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 3 Dec. 2024

Howard Buffett heads the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, which works to address global hunger, combat human trafficking and mitigate conflicts. —Jonathan Stempel, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024

His resume includes work for the International Justice Mission, a nonprofit that aims to combat human trafficking. —Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024

Tribal leaders had banished Chasing Horse in 2015 from the reservation amid allegations of human trafficking. —CBS News, 31 Oct. 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