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trafficker

trafficker

62 8.0
A person who illegally buys and sells goods or people
  • noun
  • /ˈtræfɪkər/
  • NSFW
translation icon : traficante
  • Such characteristics make it easier for traffickers to recruit, transport, and subsequently exploit women in destination countries.
  • drug trafficker
  • cocaine trafficker
  • narcotics traffickers

They sold my mom first to another trafficker and I was kept there.

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Examples

  • At his funeral, the president of the association accused the drug traffickers of killing the secretary.

    Academic text (1996)
  • By establishing some degree of control over victims, traffickers are better able to exploit women in the sex industry.

    Academic text (2008)
  • And the reason they called him the king of New York is because he was a major heroin trafficker major.

  • How much time would it take for a trafficker to earn that money from a sex trafficking victim?

  • How do these traffickers spot them?

  • The only people pleased to see them will be their traffickers.

  • The traffickers specifically target women like Natalie and me.

  • He's a known drug trafficker with ties to Colombia.

  • Under this law, penalties for traffickers are raised and protections for victims increased.

    Academic text (2003)
  • He is a notorious trafficker who specializes in smuggling illegal drugs across the border.

Synonyms

dealer
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
384 6.5

A person who buys and sells illegal goods like drugs and stolen items

is the general term for any person trading illegally or dishonestly
drug dealer
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
246 4.8

A person who sells illegal drugs

is broader and covers trading in any illegal goods or services
smuggler
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
89 3.8

A person who secretly moves goods across borders to avoid paying tax

includes all illegal buying and selling, not only cross border movement
runner
vstrafficker
53 8.3

A person who brings goods into a country without paying customs

is the wider buying and selling idea beyond secret import or export
fence
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
52 9.8

A person who buys stolen goods to sell them to others

is broader and can include many illegal goods, not only stolen items
pusher
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
21 8.4

A person who sells illegal drugs to other people

is broader, covering sellers and larger illegal trade roles
drug trafficker
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
16 6.2

A person who illegally buys and sells large amounts of drugs

is the general illegal trading concept, not limited to drugs
bootlegger
vstrafficker
  • US
11 8.6

A person who makes and sells alcohol illegally, often during Prohibition

is broader and not limited to alcohol or historical contexts
slave trader
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
10 9.1

A person who buys and sells people as slaves

is the wider illegal trading term, not limited to human trafficking
peddler
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
4 8.1

A person who secretly sells illegal drugs

is wider, applying to any illegal commercial activity beyond drugs
black marketeer
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
1 7.5

A person who secretly sells scarce or controlled goods for money

covers illegal buying and selling more broadly, not only scarce goods
curbstoner
vstrafficker
  • US
1 9.9

A person who sells cars without a dealer license, often illegally

is the general illegal trading idea not limited to car sales
slave dealer
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A person who buys and sells people to force them to work without freedom

is more general and covers many illegal markets beyond people
drug peddler
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
1 7.4

A person who sells illegal drugs, often on the street

is the general buying and selling idea rather than small-scale drug sales
junkman
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A person who sells illegal drugs, especially heroin

is the neutral, general term for illegal buying and selling
contrabandist
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
9.9

A person who moves goods across a border illegally, often to avoid taxes

is broader, including illegal local trade as well as cross border acts
moon curser
vstrafficker
  • NSFW
9.9

A person who secretly brings goods into or out of a country to avoid paying taxes

is the broader term for illegal trading, not limited to smuggling
weaponeer
vstrafficker
9.9

A person who sells weapons, often illegally

is broader, including many illegal items beyond arms

Compounds

16 6.2

A person who illegally buys and sells large amounts of drugs

How Illegal

kingpin
  • Literature
33 7.0
smuggler
  • NSFW
89 3.8
trafficker
  • NSFW
62 8.0
dealer
  • Specialized
99 4.0
merchant
203 2.1

Surface Forms

trafficker singular
traffickers plural

Morphology

trafficker = traffic (semi-transparent) = traffic + er

Formally derived from the verb 'traffic' + '-er', but learners who know only the noun 'traffic' (vehicles) may not predict the 'trade/illegal dealing' sense.

Etymology

Trafficker comes from traffic, a word that originally meant 'trade' or the movement of goods. So a trafficker is someone who trades or moves things, and today it usually means a person who does this secretly or illegally for money.