slave trade
noun
: trafficking of enslaved people
especially, in U.S. history
: the business or practice of capturing, transporting, selling, and buying enslaved African people for profit prior to the American Civil War
Examples of slave trade in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sixteen original structures are on the property, along with two permanent exhibitions about the history of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery in Louisiana.
—
Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 Apr. 2026
The Church of Our Lady of Muxima was built by Portuguese colonizers at the end of the 16th century as part of a fortress complex and became a hub in the slave trade.
—ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
However, these systems and traditions were disrupted by the slave trade.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Those same merchants and planters were also heavily involved in the first Portuguese incursions into mainland Central Africa, which resulted in the establishment of the colony of Angola in 1575—a key lever for the slave trade’s growth.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slave trade
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Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 Apr. 2026
The Church of Our Lady of Muxima was built by Portuguese colonizers at the end of the 16th century as part of a fortress complex and became a hub in the slave trade.
—ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
However, these systems and traditions were disrupted by the slave trade.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Those same merchants and planters were also heavily involved in the first Portuguese incursions into mainland Central Africa, which resulted in the establishment of the colony of Angola in 1575—a key lever for the slave trade’s growth.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slave trade
Cite this Entry
“Slave trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slave%20trade. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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