ex·ploit

(ĕk′sploit′, ĭk-sploit′)

1. An act or deed, especially a brilliant or heroic one. See Synonyms at feat¹.

2. Computers A program or system designed to take advantage of a particular error or security vulnerability in computers or networks.

tr.v. (ĭk-sploit′, ĕk′sploit′) ex·ploit·ed, ex·ploit·ing, ex·ploits

1. To employ to the greatest possible advantage: exploit one's talents.

2. To make use of selfishly or unethically: a corporation that exploited peasant labor.

[Middle English, from Old French esploit, from Latin explicitum, neuter past participle of explicāre, to unfold; see explicate.]

ex·ploit′a·bil′i·ty n.

ex·ploit′a·ble adj.

ex·ploit′a·tive, ex·ploit′ive adj.

ex·ploit′a·tive·ly, ex·ploit′ive·ly adv.

ex·ploit′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.

exploitive - tending to exploit or make use of

exploitative, exploitatory

consumptive - tending to consume or use often wastefully; "water suitable for beneficial consumptive uses"; "duties consumptive of time and energy"; "consumptive fires"

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References in periodicals archive

He said risk-based pricing is not exploitive and that the fear with a consumer is why they should borrow at 30 per cent for instance.

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BNM protest in front of Pakistani and Chinese embassies in South Korean capital Seoul against Pakistani barbarism and exploitive #CPEC projects in Balochistan," they further tweeted.

S Korea: Baloch activists protest against 'exploitative' CPEC, Pakistani 'barbarism'

Synopsis: Germany's devastating defeat in the First World War and the punitively exploitive Treaty of Versailles that followed were national disasters, with far-reaching consequences not just for the country but for the world itself.

Creating Hitler's Germany

Page after page is dedicated to the dangerous and grueling job of harvesting gigantic trees from old-growth forests--see "steam donkey." The reader will be in awe of such hard labor done in the service of exploitive bosses who pay little.

Deep River

In her message on social networking site twitter on Saturday, Firdous Ashiq Awan said, 'Due to the struggle of Prime Minister Imran khan, hero worshipping and exploitive system running since decades in Punjab has come to end.

Performance of Shehbaz Sharif was limited to TV headlines: Firdous Ashiq Awan

The compelling motivation for independence was always patriotism, national self-respect, the assertion and promotion of the country's status and identity as a nation and a determination to escape the dominant and exploitive clutches of their aggressive colonialist rulers.

An independent Wales is more than viable

The Cho family scandals have increased public criticism about the country's chaebol," a privileged group of family-owned conglomerates that have been tied to corruption and exploitive behaviour.

Indicted Korean Air boss dies at 70

"Today's agreement is a victory for workers' rights and a big step toward ending this exploitive practice."

Four fast food companies agree to halt no-poach agreements

The labor group said that Chinese nationals should apply for "Alien Employment Permit so that they will also equally covered by Philippine labor laws and regulations and be protected from abusive and exploitive employer."

TUCP asks Chinese nationals seeking jobs in PH to legalize stay

Yes, they do have to make a return, but it doesn't need to be exploitive.

Find will to reclaim our communities

According to Huma Aziz Raja, in line with one of the fundamental principles of Islam, it should be made binding upon rich people to do charitable spending for wellbeing of the have-nots in the society to extricate them from the exploitive cycle of poverty.

Admin expanding welfare activities to serve humanity