traffic

traffic — noun

1. cars, buses, and other vehicles travelling on roads, together with how busy the

1.nounA2
Definition

cars, buses, and other vehicles travelling on roads, together with how busy the roads are

Example

The morning rush-hour traffic made Bao nearly thirty minutes late for work.

collocation: rush-hour traffic

Christopher checked the map for a side road with less traffic on it.

Common collocations
  • heavy traffic
  • rush-hour traffic
  • through traffic
  • local traffic
  • traffic jam
  • traffic congestion
  • traffic lights
  • traffic flow
Synonyms
  • congestion

    specifically refers to roads being blocked or crowded; stronger negative connotation than traffic

  • gridlock

    extreme traffic jam where vehicles cannot move at all; more dramatic than general traffic

  • rush hour

    the peak period of heavy traffic, not the vehicles themselves

Grammar Patterns

traffic as an uncountable noun

Usage Note

Traffic is an uncountable noun in this sense. Do not say 'a traffic' or 'traffics'. Use 'a lot of traffic', 'heavy traffic', or 'little traffic' instead.

Common Mistakes

There were many traffics on the street.
There was a lot of traffic on the street.
traffic is uncountable and cannot be pluralised.
I got stuck in a traffic.
I got stuck in traffic.
no article is needed before the uncountable noun.

2. the movement of passengers or cargo by road, rail, air, or sea, considered as a

2.nounB2
Definition

the movement of passengers or cargo by road, rail, air, or sea, considered as a commercial activity

Example

The railway company reported a twenty percent increase in freight traffic this quarter.

collocation: freight traffic / passenger traffic

Air traffic between the two islands has grown since the new airline began daily flights.

Common collocations
  • air traffic
  • freight traffic
  • passenger traffic
  • rail traffic
  • shipping traffic
  • port traffic
Synonyms
  • transport

    broader term for moving goods or people; not limited to movement along a route

  • shipping

    refers specifically to the transport of goods by sea or by commercial carriers

  • movement

    more general term without the commercial business implication

Grammar Patterns

traffic of [goods/passengers]

Usage Note

Often modified by a mode of transport (air traffic, rail traffic, road traffic, shipping traffic) or type of load (freight traffic, passenger traffic). Distinguish from sense 1 (VEHICLES ON ROAD), which focuses on congestion and road conditions rather than commercial movement.

Common Mistakes

The traffic of goods increased by 10%.' (vague)
Freight traffic increased by 10%.
use a specific modifier to clarify which kind of transport business you mean.

3. the business of buying and selling goods that are forbidden by law, such as narc

3.nounB2
Definition

the business of buying and selling goods that are forbidden by law, such as narcotics, weapons, or protected animals and plants

Example

Police arrested four people in connection with the illegal arms traffic across the border.

collocation: drug traffic / arms traffic

The government has launched a new campaign to stop the traffic of endangered species.

Common collocations
  • drug traffic
  • arms traffic
  • illegal traffic
  • traffic in drugs
  • traffic in weapons
Synonyms
  • trafficking

    the more common term for the activity; 'traffic' as a noun sounds more formal or journalistic

  • smuggling

    implies moving goods secretly across borders, while traffic can include domestic trade

  • black market

    refers to the entire illegal economy, not just the trade activity

Grammar Patterns

traffic in [contraband]

Usage Note

Frequently followed by 'in' to specify the type of goods (e.g., 'traffic in drugs', 'traffic in arms'). Common in news reporting, law enforcement, and legal documents.

Common Mistakes

He was involved in drug traffic.' (correct but informal)
He was involved in the drug traffic.' (with article) or 'He was involved in drug trafficking.
'trafficking' is more common in everyday legal contexts.

4. data moving through a computer network, or how often people visit a particular w

4.nounB1
Definition

data moving through a computer network, or how often people visit a particular website

Example

The company's website traffic doubled after the new advertisement appeared online.

collocation: website traffic / web traffic

Network traffic slows down in the evening when many people stream videos in their homes.

Common collocations
  • website traffic
  • web traffic
  • network traffic
  • data traffic
  • traffic volume
  • traffic analysis
  • high traffic
  • low traffic
Synonyms
  • visitors

    refers to people visiting a site, not the data volume; more concrete

  • data flow

    emphasises the movement of information rather than the count of visits

  • usage

    broader term covering any kind of system use

Grammar Patterns

traffic + noun (traffic data, traffic volume)

Usage Note

Often paired with modifiers such as 'web', 'network', 'site', 'data', or 'email' to specify the type of traffic. 'High traffic' means many visitors; 'low traffic' means few visitors.

Common Mistakes

The traffic of our website is low.
Our website traffic is low.
use website traffic as a compound, not 'traffic of'.

5. in motor racing, the slower cars behind the leading group that can block or slow

5.nounC1
Definition

in motor racing, the slower cars behind the leading group that can block or slow down faster drivers who are trying to pass them on the track

Example

The champion driver skillfully moved through the traffic to retake the lead on lap thirty.

motor racing context

A crash ahead brought out a yellow flag, bunching the traffic behind the safety car.

Common collocations
  • through traffic
  • get stuck in traffic
  • clear traffic
  • slow traffic
Synonyms
  • backmarkers

    specifically the slower cars that are a lap or more behind the leaders

  • field

    all the cars in the race collectively, not just the slower ones

Grammar Patterns

through traffic

in traffic

Usage Note

This sense is specific to motorsport commentary and analysis. In racing, 'traffic' is almost always a problem — the leading driver loses time because slower cars are in the way. Distinguish from sense 1 (VEHICLES ON ROAD), which applies to everyday roads.

6. in sports like basketball or ice hockey, the situation where a large number of d

6.nounC1
Definition

in sports like basketball or ice hockey, the situation where a large number of defending players crowd into a small area of the playing space, making it hard to shoot or pass

Example

The point guard drove toward the basket but found too much traffic to shoot cleanly.

basketball context

Heavy traffic in front of the net meant the hockey player could not see the puck.

Common collocations
  • heavy traffic
  • traffic near the basket
  • traffic in front of the net
  • create traffic
  • cut through traffic
Synonyms
  • crowd

    less specific; can refer to any group, not just defenders in a sports context

  • congestion

    similar meaning but slightly more formal; used in analysis rather than play-by-play commentary

Grammar Patterns

too much traffic

traffic in the [area]

Usage Note

This sense is used in basketball and ice hockey commentary. 'Traffic' refers to the defensive congestion itself, not the individual players. Distinguish from sense 5 (RACING OBSTACLES), which is about slower cars blocking leaders on a track.

traffic — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe situations where vehicles are slowed on roads, but they differ in intensity and scope. Traffic is the broadest term — it simply refers to vehicles on a road, whether moving or not. Congestion emphasises the condition of roads being overly full, creating slowdowns; it is more formal and often used in planning reports ('traffic congestion is worst at 8 a.m.'). Jam (or traffic jam) describes a specific event where vehicles are stopped or barely moving for a period of time ('we hit a jam on the motorway'). Gridlock is the most extreme — it means traffic is so completely stopped in all directions that no vehicle can move at all ('the city centre was in gridlock after the parade'). In everyday conversation, 'traffic' is the default word. Use 'jam' when you want to highlight that you were stopped. Use 'congestion' in writing or formal contexts. Use 'gridlock' only when movement has entirely ceased.

traffic ↗congestion ↗gridlockjam ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • traffic light
  • traffic sign
  • traffic circle
  • traffic warden
  • traffic offence
  • traffic report

Prepositions

Etymology

ItalianLatinEnglish

The word 'traffic' entered English in the early 1500s from Italian 'traffico' (trade or commerce), which came from 'trafficare' (to trade). The Italian verb may combine Latin 'trans-' (across) and 'facere' (to do or make), giving the sense of 'doing business across borders'. For centuries, 'traffic' primarily meant general trade and commercial activity. The modern meaning of 'vehicles on a road' emerged gradually in the 1800s with the rise of railways and automobiles, and the sense of 'illegal trade' appeared around the same period. The computing sense (website or network traffic) dates from the mid-1900s.