exploiting

[ ik-sploi-ting ]

noun

1. the act of utilizing something, especially for profit:

   More resources should be allocated to the exploiting of the local market by attracting more business to the region.

2. the act of using a person or thing selfishly for one’s own ends:

   When I saw the commercial, I was appalled at the exploiting of children's sorrow for corporate gain.

adjective

1. using a person or thing selfishly or for profit:

   In late czarist Russia, activists began to galvanize workers and peasants against the exploiting landowners, industrialists, and state.

Other Words From

• self-ex·ploit·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of exploiting¹

First recorded in 1830–40; exploit ²( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses; exploit ²( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

Tune in to hear all about the outrageous and controversial pro-spud exploits of one Antoine-Agustin Parmentier, a Frenchman who championed the starch as a nutritious snack worthy of a spot on even the most royal tables.

From Popular-Science

It’s time to upgradeEven though it’s unlikely the average person would feel the effects of any of these recent exploits, it’s a nice reminder that those nagging update notices exist for a reason.

From Popular-Science

Beta versions of software often contain bugs that may leave users vulnerable to glitches that could result in lost data, or exploits that have yet to be patched in that particular version.

From Time

In Turkey, crime groups in border areas are exploiting the labor of Syrian male refugees who cannot find legitimate employment.

From The Daily Beast

Exploiting his role as a medical professional, he passes fiction off as fact and trades knowledge for fear.

From The Daily Beast

The money his paintings have brought in has helped support his family, so a case for exploiting the child could be made.

From The Daily Beast

But there is actually something more irksome than exploiting cancer for profits.

From The Daily Beast

Most security experts believe individual accounts were hacked, by exploiting password resets, rather than the Apple cloud itself.

From The Daily Beast

This Alfred Boucher believed he was exploiting Savarus, whereas the contrary was the case.

From Project Gutenberg

He began life as a medical practitioner, but made a fortune by exploiting a certain Pte Regnault and took to political journalism.

From Project Gutenberg

The only beast that makes a regular practice of exploiting his own kind is man.

From Project Gutenberg

We aim at developing the latent faculties and exploiting the hidden resources of the mind.

From Project Gutenberg

Lace-making and coral-fishing are the occupations of the inhabitants who do not live off of exploiting the tourists.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• crooked
• fraudulent
• nefarious
• rotten
• shady
• unethical
• unscrupulous
• untrustworthy
• venal