Ausgebeutet

Ausgebeutet is the past participle and predicative adjective of the German verb ausbeuten, meaning to exploit or to extract value from someone or something, often against their interests. When used attributively or predicatively, ausgebeutet describes individuals, groups, or resources that have suffered exploitation.

Etymology: From ausbeuten, combining prefix aus- (out, away) with beuten (to exploit, to plunder). The term has widened from its traditional economic contexts to cover social, environmental, and digital forms of exploitation.

Contexts: In labor settings, workers may be described as ausgebeutet when wages are low, hours long, or safety standards inadequate. In historical or geopolitical contexts, territories and populations have been subject to ausgebeutet resource extraction or coercive practices. In the digital realm, data may be ausgebeutet and monetized without consent.

In contemporary discourse, the term signals power imbalances and prompts calls for reforms such as fair wages, safe working conditions, ethical sourcing, and supply-chain transparency. It is commonly used in discussions of human rights, labor law, corporate accountability, and development policy.

See also: Ausbeutung, Ausbeuter, Kolonialismus, Lieferkettentransparenz, Corporate social responsibility.