exploited

Exploited is the past tense form of the verb exploit and the adjective form of exploitation used to describe the act of taking unfair or advantageous use of something or someone. In neutral uses, to exploit can mean to make practical and efficient use of resources or opportunities; in negative contexts, exploitation denotes unfair, abusive, or illegal taking advantage of others, often involving coercion, deception, or power imbalances.

Common uses include economic and resource contexts, where a country or company exploits natural resources or workforce to generate value; or more specifically, labor exploitation where workers are underpaid, overworked, or subjected to unsafe conditions. Social and political analysis often frames exploitation as a relation of power that benefits one group at the expense of another.

In technology, exploitation refers to the act of taking advantage of a vulnerability, flaw, or misconfiguration to gain unauthorized access, disrupt services, or steal information. Security professionals also discuss exploits and exploit kits in terms of defensive measures and vulnerability handling; the term exploitable describes systems that can be attacked given certain conditions.

Historical usage often describes colonial and wartime or corporate practices in which wealth and resources were extracted from colonies or subordinate populations. The concept remains central in discussions of labor rights, corporate ethics, international law, and human rights.

Legal frameworks and ethical norms seek to reduce exploitation, through labor standards, anti-trafficking laws, environmental regulations, and cybersecurity regulations. The word remains widely used across disciplines to indicate both neutral utilization and harmful manipulation depending on context.