Usage Note
Trata in modern usage almost always appears in legal or human-rights contexts: trata de personas (human trafficking) or trata de blancas (white slavery, an older term now considered offensive). The word derives from tratar (to deal/treat) but has narrowed in standalone use to these criminal connotations.
Examples
"La trata de personas es un crimen global."
Natural Translation
Human trafficking is a global crime.

Free starter pack
Building your Spanish vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore Spanish by topic
SpanishNow
6 min read
SpanishNow
6 min read