exploit
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to utilize, especially for profit; turn to practical account.
to exploit a business opportunity.
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to use selfishly for one's own ends.
employers who exploit their workers.
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to advance or further through exploitation; promote.
He exploited his new movie through a series of guest appearances.
noun
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a flaw in hardware or software that is vulnerable to hacking or other cyberattacks.
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a piece of software that takes advantage of such a flaw to compromise a computer system or network.
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(in a video game) the use of a bug or flaw in game design to a player’s advantage or to the disadvantage of other players.
noun
verb
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to take advantage of (a person, situation, etc), esp unethically or unjustly for one's own ends
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to make the best use of
to exploit natural resources
Usage
What does exploit mean? As a verb, exploit commonly means to selfishly take advantage of someone in order to profit from them or otherwise benefit oneself. As a noun, exploit means a notable or heroic accomplishment.As a verb, exploit can also be used in a more neutral way that doesn’t imply selfishness: to make the best use of something, especially an opportunity, to create a profit or other benefit. But when the verb is applied to people, it is always used negatively. The noun form of the verb exploit is exploitation, and the adjective form is exploitative, as in exploitative practices. Example: I know you’re trying to live up to the exploits and success of your father, but exploiting your workers to maximize profit is not the way to do it.
Related Words
See achievement.
Other Word Forms
- exploitability noun
- exploitable adjective
- exploitation noun
- exploitative adjective
- exploitatory adjective
- exploiter noun
- exploitive adjective
- nonexploitable adjective
- nonexploitative adjective
- nonexploitive adjective
- unexploitable adjective
- unexploitative adjective
- unexploitive adjective
Etymology
Origin of exploit1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English exploit, espleit, from Old French exploit, Anglo-French espleit, from Latin explicitum, neuter of explicitus “unfolded, set forth,” variant past participle of explicāre “to unfold, unroll, smooth, reveal”; explicate
Origin of exploit2
First recorded in 1300–50; from French exploiter, derivative of exploit (noun); replacing late Middle English expleiten “to achieve,” from Anglo-French, Middle French espleiter, espleitier, derivative of espleit, esploit, expleit, exploit (noun), from Latin explicitum “matter settled, displayed,” noun use of explicitus “unfolded, revealed,” variant past participle of explicāre; exploit 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A young person who chooses a career in cybersecurity, whether in the military or in the private sector, is providing a timely service to his country by bridging the digital gap that attackers actively exploit.
It urged the crypto industry to adopt new protective measures before quantum computers become powerful enough to exploit those vulnerabilities.
From MarketWatch
The defence would be left exposed, while the attack relied too heavily on individual exploits from Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
From BBC
The order addresses concerns that platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket can be exploited by insiders, prompting both to update trading policies.
The U.S. military would be dealing with an order of magnitude more targets—and a People’s Liberation Army exploiting its own AI.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
