exploited

[ik-sploi-tid]

adjective

1. utilized or made practical use of, especially for profit.

   Edible insects are a widely exploited food source among many of the world’s Indigenous populations.

2. used selfishly by someone for their own ends.

   Every one of these exploited workers shared stories of their inhumane working conditions and their determination to fight back.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of exploit.

Other Word Forms

• half-exploited adjective
• self-exploited adjective
• unexploited adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of exploited¹

exploit ² ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

At times this season, teams have exploited these defensive principles.

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It said that "an unregistered and misleading organization" had exploited the plight of the Gaza citizens, "deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner".

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The candidate authorized payments for campaign management after being misled by trusted advisors who subsequently exploited that trust.

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The fund was capped at $10 billion because beyond that size, the strategies would move markets too much — destroying the very inefficiencies they exploited.

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"I've led efforts to strengthen the protection of children and those exploited by abuse and exploitation," he said.

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Related Words

• abused www.thesaurus.com
• oppressed 
• overburdened www.thesaurus.com