exploitative

Sometimes ex·ploit·a·to·ry
ex·ploit·ive

[ik-sploi-tuh-tiv]

adjective

1. taking unfair or unethical advantage of a person, group, or situation for the purpose of profit, comfort, or advancement.

   Her success attracted too many exploitative relatives to count.

Other Word Forms

• exploitatively adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of exploitative¹

First recorded in 1890–95; exploit ² ( def. ) + -ative ( def. )

Example Sentences

The proclamation includes provisions for national interest exemptions that could allow legitimate high-skilled immigration while blocking exploitative practices by outsourcing firms.

From Los Angeles Times

The 2023 Hollywood writers and actors strikes opposed the exploitative impact of streaming and AI on creative workers’ compensation.

From Salon

The legislation would be a major shake-up of workers' rights, including protection against unfair dismissal and a ban on "exploitative" zero-hours contracts.

From BBC

The legislation would be a major shake-up of workers' rights, which would include protection against unfair dismissal, and a ban on "exploitative" zero-hours contracts.

From BBC

In many Indian cities, betting already takes place through local bookies who operate without oversight, which is often more exploitative than online platforms.

From BBC

Related Words

• corrupt 
• crafty 
• crooked 
• deceitful 
• dishonest 
• illegal 
• petty 
• ruthless 
• selfish 
• shady 
• shameless 
• underhanded 
• unethical 
• venal 

When To Use

What does exploitative mean?

Exploitative is an adjective that describes someone or something that selfishly takes advantage of someone or a group of people in order to profit from them or otherwise benefit.It comes from the verb exploit, which commonly means to take advantage in such a way. The act of doing so is exploitation.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, or to create a profit or other benefit. But when the verb is applied to people, it is always used negatively.Exploitative is only ever used negatively, and it always implies greed, selfishness, or unethical practices. It’s often used in the context of the exploitation of workers by businesses, especially in phrases like exploitative practices. Other, less common variations of exploitative are exploitive and exploitatory.Example: The article exposes many of the industry’s exploitative business practices.