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

Federal authorities arrested 11 cruise crew members in Boston as part of a multi-agency operation targeting child exploitation offenses. — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Suspecting that Roblox may not be doing enough to stop child exploitation, eSafety conducted testing earlier this year that flagged alarming gaps in Roblox safeguards. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2026

The state alleges OpenAI's rapid success stems from deceit and exploitation, causing widespread harm to Floridians and subverting public order. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026

But advocates for the rule say the wildfire argument is a red herring to allow for more commercial exploitation of the national forests. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 19 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