exploited

American  

[ik-sploi-tid] / ɪkˈsplɔɪ tɪd /

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.

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of exploited

exploit ² ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

So our view of the evidence was that he caused it and that he exploited it and that it was foreseeable to him.

From Salon

Issuers quickly exploited a loophole in the new rule, however, and the number of sub-$15 million IPOs on Nasdaq in 2025 surged past the total for 2024.

From Barron's

Should have been a weakness England exploited while the series was alive.

From BBC

Unfortunately, hackers have exploited vulnerabilities in this flawed system.

From The Wall Street Journal

The attacks have largely focused on leaking documents through publicly known vulnerabilities that can be exploited by scanning computer networks for weaknesses or by launching classic phishing attacks, analysts said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• abused
• oppressed
• overburdened