exploited

adjective

ex·​ploit·​ed ik-ˈsplȯi-təd How to pronounce exploited (audio)
ˈek-ˌsplȯi-
: used for someone's advantage
an exploited resource
Pescatarians … are forgetting the fact that fish are the most exploited species on our planet. NationalPost.com
When a system becomes victim to an exploited vulnerability or an intruder, its behavior often changes. David Hamm
especially, of a person : unfairly or meanly used for another's advantage
He dedicated his life to improving the wages and working conditions of one of the nation's poorest and most exploited groups of workers … James C. Harrington

Examples of exploited in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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With two serious, exploited vulnerabilities and that delayed CISA update deadline, this month’s release takes on a more serious note than usual. Zak Doffman, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024 Cobbs neatly sidesteps all of that by immersing us deep in the Old Man’s outrage on behalf of his broken and exploited community. Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 3 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of exploit entry 2

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exploited was in 1867

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Cite this Entry

“Exploited.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exploited. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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