human trafficking

noun

1. the illegal practice of procuring or trading in human beings for the purpose of prostitution, forced labor, or other forms of exploitation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of human trafficking¹

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

Above her head, multiple TV screens flashed a message listing the phone number for the human trafficking hotline.

From Washington Post

Because of its anonymity and portability, it has the potential to fund underground economies, like human trafficking and drugs.

From Time

Data on human trafficking is notoriously messy and difficult to measure.

From No Straight News

From counterfeit beer and dangerous synthetic drugs to human trafficking, China is the global heartbeat of illicit international trade networks.

From Ozy

Yet human trafficking is happening all the time, sometimes even in the most unlikely of places.

From Ozy

I understand that this is human trafficking, but I know that my people have no other option.

From The Daily Beast

Now, the recent actions of ISIS and Boko Haram are drawing attention to the role of human trafficking.

From The Daily Beast

Human trafficking was once a crime associated primarily with a range of small to large crime groups.

From The Daily Beast

Rather, human trafficking, like slavery in the past, is a way of demoralizing the conquered.

From The Daily Beast

Between 2001 and 2011, cases of sex-based human trafficking shrank by 10 percent.

From The Daily Beast