exploited
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of exploited
Explanation
Something that's exploited is fully taken advantage of. Fear is probably the most commonly exploited emotion used by directors of horror films. Exploited talents are ones that have been put to good use. And resources that are exploited are being used advantageously. However, this word is quite often used in a more negative way, to mean "used in a victimizing way." In some countries, exploited children are forced to work long hours in bad conditions. When animals are used to test shampoo, most people agree these critters are also exploited.
Vocabulary lists containing exploited
The Hate U Give
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President Trump's First State of The Union Address (2018)
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An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States
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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.
The hack probably isn’t; ShinyHunters claims to have exploited a flaw in software made by Oracle.
From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026
"Vietnamese nationals are still the highest nationality that we see being exploited in Scotland" said Bertram.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
The Kings’ latest legal drama follows a firm that takes on the cases of people exploited by big tech companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
In the 1960s and into the 1970s, he wanted immigration officials to keep out undocumented workers, believing they’d be exploited as strikebreakers for growers and erode his union’s bargaining power.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
“It’s about labor. The good things that were achieved—the railways, for example—but also how labor was exploited and the lengths the colonial enterprise went to.”
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
