trafficking
5 synonyms and 0 antonyms for trafficking, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The illegal trade of goods or people.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use trafficking
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From traffic + -ing.
Full origin of trafficking →Frequently asked questions
What does “trafficking” mean?
The word “trafficking” means the illegal trade of goods or people. In plain terms, illegal trading, most commonly used for drugs, weapons, or the exploitation of people.
How do you use “trafficking” in a sentence?
Here is “trafficking” used in a sentence: “The organisation campaigns against human trafficking worldwide.”
What part of speech is “trafficking”?
“Trafficking” is a noun.
Is “trafficking” a common word?
“Trafficking” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between trafficking and smuggling?
Smuggling means secretly moving goods or people across borders, and afterwards a smuggled person is usually free to go. Trafficking is the illegal trade of goods or people, and in human trafficking it centers on ongoing exploitation and control rather than just transport.
What is the difference between trafficking and dealing?
Both describe illegal trade, but dealing usually refers to selling drugs, often at a smaller or local level. Trafficking implies large-scale illegal trade of goods or people, frequently across regions or borders.
What preposition is used with trafficking?
Trafficking is normally followed by in, as in trafficking in drugs or trafficking in weapons. It also appears in set compounds such as human trafficking and drug trafficking.
Does trafficking always refer to people?
No. As the illegal trade of goods or people, trafficking can cover illegal dealing in drugs, weapons, or wildlife, as well as human trafficking. The intended meaning usually comes from the surrounding words.