exploitative

adjective

ex·​ploit·​ative ik-ˈsplȯi-tə-tiv How to pronounce exploitative (audio) ˈek-ˌsplȯi- How to pronounce exploitative (audio)
: 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
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.
Western countries’ framing of the critical minerals issue is based on an assumption that Africa needs to be protected from exploitative Chinese companies, Bronwen Everill argues in an article for UK think tank Chatham House. Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026 Sports franchises everywhere can be tacky, rapacious, incompetent, extortionate, and otherwise exploitative, but only because their customers, the fans, are essentially captives. Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026 That awareness accelerated in 2010 following the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh, which exposed the exploitative nature of global supply chains and intensified calls for more ethical and sustainable practices. Andre Claudio, Footwear News, 23 Apr. 2026 At a time when many of us are struggling to see a future that isn’t just a fulfillment of the worst impulses of the corrupt, exploitative, anti-democratic present, Fugard offers a vision of perseverance and resistance. Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exploitative

Word History

Etymology

exploit entry 2 + -ative

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exploitative was in 1879

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exploitative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/exploitative. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.

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