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.
What AI-driven malware does is accelerate the pace at which these vulnerabilities are exploited and the scale.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
The findings add to a growing body of research portraying Neanderthals as resourceful humans who understood and exploited the natural materials around them.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Muse engineers said the bot had exploited a permissions setting on his Mac computer he didn’t realize was applicable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
The hack probably isn’t; ShinyHunters claims to have exploited a flaw in software made by Oracle.
From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026
They exploited understandable discrepancies between the bulletins and the individual in the courtroom—was there proof that this Benjamin Jones was the Benjamin Jones in question?
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
