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

These proposals, many times rooted in sympathy and love, were presented as alternatives to the political structures and market logic that had so often led to war, exploitation, hopelessness, and suffering. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026

Led by Inspector Ӧnem, the team (which works out of a basement) deals with honor killings, suicides, and exploitation. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026

In reality, decades of land abuse and exploitation left behind a scarred terrain uniquely prepared for the arrival of kudzu as a fast-growing pioneer plant. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026

To prevent direct exploitation, the random numbers tick away in the background like an ultrafast clock, changing their value approximately 60 times per second. — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 25 Aug. 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