English Reference
Adjective

exploitative

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ˌɛksˈpɫɔɪtətɪv/ UK /ɛksplˈɔɪtətˌɪv/ ex·ploita·tive Ecology

adj.describing a situation where one person or group takes advantage of another in a way that is unfair or harmful. In ecology, it refers to a relationship where one species benefits while the other is harmed.

adj.characterised by the unfair or harmful use of someone or something for one's own benefit. In an ecological context, it describes a symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of the other.


SIMPLE

The company's working conditions were very exploitative.

CONTEXTUAL

The new law aims to prevent exploitative labor practices by ensuring fair wages for all workers.

COMPLEX

While some species engage in mutualistic relationships, others are exploitative, such as the parasitic wasp that lays its eggs inside a host ant, eventually killing it.

But the TUC union body said "exploitative" zero-hours contracts had become "endemic" in the UK, and called on the government to end them.

BBC News· 18 Aug 2026

Staged by Dundee Rep and Solar Bear, it is a simple tale of a tested friendship in an exploitative music industry.

The Guardian· 16 Aug 2026
This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated