# traffic

/ˈtɹæfɪk/ (US) · /tɹˈæfɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/traffic
Updated: 2026-04-30

## Senses

### 1. vehicles on the road

noun · CEFR A1

the cars, trucks, and buses using a road at a particular time.

For teachers: the movement of vehicles or pedestrians along a public highway or transport route. Uncountable in this sense.

- I was late for work because the traffic was very heavy this morning.
- Commuters faced significant delays as the morning traffic slowed to a crawl following a minor collision on the main arterial road.

Usage: Always used with a singular verb.

### 2. internet/data flow

noun · CEFR B2

the amount of data or the number of people visiting a website.

For teachers: the volume of data, messages, or visitors moving through a computer network or website.

- The website crashed because it received too much traffic after the advertisement.
- Network administrators monitored the sudden spike in web traffic to ensure the servers could handle the increased load during the product launch.

### 3. illegal trade

noun · CEFR B2

the secret and illegal buying and selling of goods, like drugs or weapons.

For teachers: the illicit exchange or commercial trade of prohibited goods or services.

- The government is trying to stop the illegal traffic of rare animals.
- International agencies collaborated to dismantle the network responsible for the illicit traffic of stolen antiquities across the border.

### 4. to trade illegally

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to buy or sell something illegally.

For teachers: to engage in the illicit exchange of goods or people. Transitive when followed by an object.

- The gang was caught trying to traffic prohibited goods into the country.
- The defendant was charged with conspiracy to traffic controlled substances across state lines over a three-year period.

Usage: Often used in the form 'trafficking'. Note the 'k' added in the present participle and past tense.

### 5. congested

adjective · CEFR B1 · Dialect

used to describe a road that is full of cars and moving slowly.

For teachers: describing a state of heavy congestion or blocked movement on a roadway.

- We should leave early because the highway is always very traffic at this hour.
- The driver warned us that the downtown area becomes incredibly traffic during the festival weekend.

Teaching tip: This adjectival use is specific to Philippine English; in most other dialects, speakers say 'the traffic is heavy' rather than 'the road is traffic'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.