exploitative
adjective
ex·ploit·ative
ik-ˈsplȯi-tə-tiv 
ˈek-ˌsplȯi-
ˈek-ˌsplȯi-
: exploiting or tending to exploit
especially
: unfairly or cynically using another person or group for profit or advantage
exploitative terms of employment
an exploitative film
exploitatively
adverb
Examples of exploitative in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In addition to his musical accolades, Albini was also an outspoken critic of exploitative music industry practices and a remarkable poker player with two World Series of Poker gold bracelets.
—
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 12 May 2025
Ruth wants Prima to make a moral judgment about Heiss’s behavior, to see it as a perhaps exploitative abuse of power—a kind of judgment that hadn’t previously occurred to Prima.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
Initially, many of these factories functioned as little more than exploitative sweatshops in which desperate young women sewed clothes for as little as five cents an hour (roughly $1 in 2025 dollars).
— Made By History, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
The controversy has ignited a debate online, with some defending Boosie’s intentions and others questioning whether the move was exploitative.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exploitative
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 12 May 2025
Ruth wants Prima to make a moral judgment about Heiss’s behavior, to see it as a perhaps exploitative abuse of power—a kind of judgment that hadn’t previously occurred to Prima.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
Initially, many of these factories functioned as little more than exploitative sweatshops in which desperate young women sewed clothes for as little as five cents an hour (roughly $1 in 2025 dollars).
— Made By History, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
The controversy has ignited a debate online, with some defending Boosie’s intentions and others questioning whether the move was exploitative.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exploitative
Cite this Entry
“Exploitative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exploitative. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share