Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Exploitation has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
the act of making some area of land or water more profitable or productive or useful
"the development of Alaskan resources"
"the exploitation of copper deposits"
an act that exploits or victimizes someone (treats them unfairly)
"capitalistic exploitation of the working class"
"paying Blacks less and charging them more is a form of victimization"
The act of utilizing something; industry.
"The new factory represents the exploitation of local resources to boost industrial output."
In plain English: Exploitation is taking unfair advantage of someone for your own benefit, often by using them without giving fair pay or respect.
"The company faced backlash for its exploitation of workers who were underpaid and overworked."
Usage: While often used interchangeably with "explotation," this term specifically denotes the unfair or selfish use of people or resources rather than mere utilization. Be careful not to confuse it with "exploitation" as a synonym for general business success, which lacks the inherent negative connotation of abuse.
The word entered English via the French term exploitation, which originally meant to unfold or deploy something. It derives from the Latin verb explicare, carrying that same sense of revealing or spreading out its contents.