traffic
Verbtraffics, trafficking, trafficked
Formstraffics, trafficking, trafficked
- 1Cars, trucks, bikes, and people moving along roads and streets.
Like water flowing in a stream: sometimes it moves fast, and sometimes it gets stuck.
We sat in heavy traffic for an hour on the way home.
The crossing guard stopped traffic so the children could cross safely.
UsageSay heavy traffic or a traffic jam (not
incorrect: a traffic). You get stuck in traffic.Note
- 2
- 3Information and messages moving through a computer or phone network.
Like cars on a busy road, but instead of cars, it is messages moving between computers.
Big file downloads send a lot of traffic through the office network.
Video calls create a lot of traffic on the phone network.
Note
- 4To buy, sell, or move illegal things like drugs, or to move people against the law to make money from them.
Some gangs traffic in drugs and guns.
The police saved ten children who had been trafficked into the city.
UsageSpelled trafficking and trafficked, with a k. Say traffic drugs or traffic in drugs.
- 5People moving from place to place, or goods being carried, bought, or sold in business.
The railroad earns more from freight traffic than from passengers.
Train traffic between the two cities grew after the new line opened.
UsageOften freight traffic or passenger traffic. For trade, say traffic in goods and traffic with a partner.
Similartransport, transportation, movement
Note
- 6The illegal buying and selling of goods, especially drugs.
Police broke up a ring involved in drug traffic along the border.
The new law set tougher punishments for traffic in stolen guns.
UsageSay the drug traffic or traffic in drugs. Drug trafficking, from the verb, names the same crime.
Similartrafficking
- 7
Less common meanings
- 8To buy, sell, or exchange things, often dishonestly, or to spread things such as rumors.
The merchants sailed along the coast to traffic with island villages.
The show traffics in rumors to keep people watching.
UsageSay traffic in something and traffic with someone. Write trafficking and trafficked with a k.
- 9The goods that people buy and sell at a market.
You'll see a draggled damsel / From Billingsgate her fishy traffic bear.
1716, John Gay, TriviaSimilarmerchandise, goods, wares, commodities
Note
- 10So full of cars and other vehicles that movement is slow.
Don't drive downtown right now because it's so traffic over there.
The roads near the mall get really traffic on weekends.
UsageSaid as so traffic or really traffic. In other places, people say the traffic is bad.
Similarcongested, jammed, gridlocked, busy, clogged
- 11How many people look at a certain page in a newspaper or magazine.
- 12Formal written messages that ham radio operators pass along for other people.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
It came through French from Italian traffico, meaning trade. Its deeper origin is uncertain: perhaps from Latin words meaning 'to rub across', or possibly from an Arabic word meaning 'distribution'.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 5 facts
- English traffic came through French from Italian traffico. en.wiktionary.org
- Italian traffico means trade. en.wiktionary.org
- The word's deeper origin is uncertain. en.wikipedia.org
- A proposed origin is Latin elements meaning 'to rub across'. en.wiktionary.org
- Another proposed origin is an Arabic word meaning 'distribution'. en.wiktionary.org