traffic

UK: /ˈtræfɪk/ US: /ˈtræfɪk/ ,(traf′ik)

Inflections of 'traffic' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

traffics

v 3rd person singular

trafficking

v pres p

trafficked

v past

trafficked

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

traf•fic /ˈtræfɪk/   n., v., -ficked, -fick•ing. 
n. [uncountable]

1. Transport the movement of vehicles, ships, etc., in an area or over a route:
   a report on the traffic and weather.
2. Transport the vehicles, persons, etc., moving in an area or over a route:
   heavy traffic.
3. trade;
   buying and selling;
   commerce:
   the traffic in illegal drugs.
4. Transport, Telecommunications the total amount of freight, passengers, messages, etc., handled in a given period:
   Can those outdated telephone systems handle the increased traffic from cellular phones?
5. communication between persons or groups:
   traffic in ideas.

v. [no object]

6. to carry on trade or commerce.
7. to trade in a commodity or service, often of an illegal nature:
   to traffic in opium.

traf•fick•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

traf•fic  (traf′ik), n., v., -ficked, -fick•ing. 
n. 

1. the movement of vehicles, ships, persons, etc., in an area, along a street, through an air lane, over a water route, etc.:
   the heavy traffic on Main Street.
2. the vehicles, persons, etc., moving in an area, along a street, etc.
3. the transportation of goods for the purpose of trade, by sea, land, or air:
   ships of traffic.
4. trade;
   buying and selling;
   commercial dealings.
5. trade between different countries or places;
   commerce.
6. the business done by a railroad or other carrier in the transportation of freight or passengers.
7. the aggregate of freight, passengers, telephone or telegraph messages, etc., handled, esp. in a given period.
8. communication, dealings, or contact between persons or groups:
   traffic between the Democrats and the Republicans.
9. mutual exchange or communication:
   traffic in ideas.
10. trade in some specific commodity or service, often of an illegal nature:
    the vast traffic in narcotics.

v.i. 

11. to carry on traffic, trade, or commercial dealings.
12. to trade or deal in a specific commodity or service, often of an illegal nature (usually fol. by in):
    to traffic in opium.

• Italian traffico (noun, nominal), trafficare (verb, verbal), of disputed origin, originally
• Middle French trafique (noun, nominal), trafiquer (verb, verbal)
• earlier traffyk 1495–1505

traf ′fick•er, n. 
traf ′fic•less, adj. 
Synonyms

• 4. See trade.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

traffic / ˈtræfɪk/ noun

1. the vehicles coming and going in a street, town, etc
2. (as modifier): traffic lights
3. the movement of vehicles, people, etc, in a particular place or for a particular purpose: sea traffic
4. (usually followed by with) dealings or business
5. trade, esp of an illicit or improper kind: drug traffic
6. the aggregate volume of messages transmitted through a communications system in a given period
7. the number of customers patronizing a commercial establishment in a given time period

verb ( -fics, -ficking, -ficked)(intransitive)

1. (often followed by in) to carry on trade or business, esp of an illicit kind
2. (usually followed by with) to have dealings

Etymology: 16th Century: from Old French trafique, from Old Italian traffico, from trafficare to engage in trade

ˈtrafficker noun