traffic
Americannoun
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the movement of vehicles, ships, persons, etc., in an area, along a street, through an air lane, over a water route, etc..
the heavy traffic on Main Street.
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the vehicles, persons, etc., moving in an area, along a street, etc.
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the transportation of goods for the purpose of trade, by sea, land, or air.
ships of traffic.
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trade; buying and selling; commercial dealings.
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trade between different countries or places; commerce.
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the business done by a railroad or other carrier in the transportation of freight or passengers.
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the aggregate of freight, passengers, telephone or telegraph messages, etc., handled, especially in a given period.
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communication, dealings, or contact between persons or groups.
traffic between the Democrats and the Republicans.
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mutual exchange or communication.
traffic in ideas.
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trade in some specific commodity or service, often of an illegal nature.
the vast traffic in narcotics.
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illegal commercial trade in human beings for the purpose of exploiting them.
the traffic in young children.
verb (used without object)
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to carry on traffic, trade, or commercial dealings.
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to trade or deal in a specific commodity or service, often of an illegal nature (usually followed byin ).
to traffic in opium.
verb (used with object)
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(of vehicles or persons) to move over or through (a place).
It's a heavily trafficked bridge.
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to trade or deal in (a commodity or service).
to traffic guns.
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to trade in (human beings) for the purpose of exploitation.
He was convicted for trafficking illegal immigrants.
noun
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the vehicles coming and going in a street, town, etc
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( as modifier )
traffic lights
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the movement of vehicles, people, etc, in a particular place or for a particular purpose
sea traffic
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the business of commercial transportation by land, sea, or air
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the freight, passengers, etc, transported
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(usually foll by with) dealings or business
have no traffic with that man
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trade, esp of an illicit or improper kind
drug traffic
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the aggregate volume of messages transmitted through a communications system in a given period
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the number of customers patronizing a commercial establishment in a given time period
verb
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(often foll by in) to carry on trade or business, esp of an illicit kind
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(usually foll by with) to have dealings
Synonym Usage
See trade.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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trafficsimple
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trafficssimple
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have traffickedperfect
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has traffickedperfect
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am traffickingprogressive
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are traffickingprogressive
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is traffickingprogressive
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have been traffickingperfect progressive
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has been traffickingperfect progressive
Past
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traffickedsimple
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had traffickedperfect
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was traffickingprogressive
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were traffickingprogressive
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had been traffickingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of traffic
First recorded in 1495–1505; earlier traffyk, from Middle French trafique (noun), trafiquer; (verb) from Italian traffico (noun), trafficare (verb), of disputed origin
Explanation
If you drive during rush hour, you're likely to hit some heavy traffic, and if you get stuck in a big traffic jam, you'll definitely be late. It's not just cars that create traffic — a large number of anything trying to occupy the same space adds up to traffic. Internet providers may see a lot of traffic when there's big news and everyone is trying to sign on to find out what happened. Pedestrians also create traffic, like those walking past your new burrito palace and pet costume shop. While your business may be perfectly respectable, you would want to watch out for people who traffic stolen goods and illegal drugs. In that sense, traffic acts as a verb indicating you're trading something, often illegally.
Vocabulary lists containing traffic
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Odyssey," Vocabulary from Part 1 of the epic poem
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Later, the traffic cone guys reappeared, still smiling, still singing, still carrying on like they were having the time of their lives, which they undoubtedly are.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
Speaking to Sky News, he said reasons for running included to "replace the traffic lights on Liverpool road", "price cap Wigan kebabs at £2" and "build at least one affordable house".
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
The Red Car line that used to service the area crawls through traffic that includes a Model T and horse-drawn carriages.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
Any concerns in the oil market might be relieved by tangible signs the vital Strait of Hormuz—which normally carries around 20% of the world’s daily oil traffic—is reopening to traffic.
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
In the Motor-HJ, boys trained on motorcycles and learned practical mechanical skills and traffic and car regulations.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
