exploitation

noun

ex·​ploi·​ta·​tion ˌek-ˌsplȯi-ˈtā-shən 

: an act or instance of exploiting

exploitation of natural resources

exploitation of immigrant laborers

clever exploitation of the system

Examples of exploitation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Government crypto operations are the stuff of lore, from the arrest of Ross Ulbricht, architect of the dark web marketplace Silk Road, to the multinational effort to take down child exploitation site Welcome to Video. —Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026

De Araújo has been one to watch, a filmmaker of great clarity and vision, one who is not only willing to take on horrifying stories, but to bring them actual new dimension without exploitation. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Feb. 2026

Spain’s Prime Minister announced plans to ban social media for children under 16, citing harmful content like child exploitation and deepfake videos. —Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026

The New York Times reported in December 2024 that at least one staff member warned against hiring Nguyen, citing his criminal history involving financial exploitation of an elderly couple. —Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 1 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, from exploiter "to exploit entry 2" + -ation -ation

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for exploitation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation