Definition

1. Noun:

   • The movement of vehicles, ships, or people along routes: "Traffic" primarily refers to the vehicles and people moving on roads, in the air, or on water.
   • The commercial transportation of goods or passengers: It can refer to the business of carrying goods or people.
   • The volume of messages or data transmitted over a communication system: In technology, "traffic" describes the amount of activity on a network.
   • Illicit or illegal trade: "Traffic" can refer to illegal trading activities.

2. Verb:

   • To engage in trade or commercial activity, especially of an illegal nature: The verb form means to deal or trade, often in something illegal.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The morning traffic was very heavy. (The movement of vehicles was dense.)
  • Air traffic control manages the flow of planes. (The system manages the movement of aircraft.)
  • There is a lot of internet traffic on this website. (The website has a high volume of data visits.)
  • He was arrested for his involvement in drug traffic. (He was arrested for illegal drug trade.)

• Verb:

  • The criminals were convicted for trafficking weapons. (The criminals were found guilty of illegally trading weapons.)

Advanced Usage

• "To traffic in something": to trade or deal in a particular commodity, often with a negative connotation.

  • The gang is known to traffic in stolen artifacts. (The gang is known to trade in stolen artifacts.)

• "Traffic jam" (compound noun): a situation where vehicles are unable to move or move very slowly.

  • We were stuck in a traffic jam for two hours. (We were caught in a long line of unmoving vehicles.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trafficker (n): a person who trades in something, especially illegal goods.
  • The trafficker was sentenced to prison.
• Trafficking (n): the act of engaging in illegal trade.
  • Human trafficking is a serious crime.

Synonyms

• Noun: Congestion, trade, commerce, transportation, movement.
• Verb: Trade, deal, peddle, smuggle.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Traffic in: To deal or trade in a specific type of goods.
  • The organization traffics in counterfeit goods. (The organization deals in fake products.)

Related Idioms

• Heavy traffic: A large amount of moving vehicles causing slow movement.
  • Avoid the highway during rush hour; there's always heavy traffic.
• Light traffic: A small amount of moving vehicles allowing for easy travel.
  • We made good time because the traffic was light.

Noun

1. social or verbal interchange (usually followed by `with')
2. the amount of activity over a communication system during a given period of time
   • heavy traffic overloaded the trunk lines
   • traffic on the internet is lightest during the night
3. buying and selling; especially illicit trade
4. the aggregation of things (pedestrians or vehicles) coming and going in a particular locality during a specified period of time

Verb

1. trade or deal a commodity
   • They trafficked with us for gold
2. deal illegally
   • traffic drugs