[a. Fr. exploitation, f. exploiter: see EXPLOIT v.]
1. The action of exploiting or turning to account; productive working or profitable management (of mines, cattle, etc.). Also, an instance of this.
1803. W. Taylor, in Ann. Rev., I. 362. Similar proofs of the deficient commercial exploitation of these colonies perpetually occur.
1825. New Monthly Mag., XIII. 588. Clear evidence of success, wanting to all other ‘exploitations’ (excuse the gallicism).
1836. Blackw. Mag., XL. 766. What is to be the next exploitation of genius? Travels?
1881. P. Geddes, in Nature, No. 622. 534. The second … inquires whether the exploitation of plants or animals be more profitable in the given society.
1885. A. J. Evans, in Archaeol., XLIX. 8. Cities … owed their rise … to the exploitation of the mineral wealth of the province.
b. The action of turning to account for selfish purposes, using for one’s own profit.
[1844. Mary Hennell, Social Syst., 108. Slavery, the use of man by man (exploitation) was the reigning principle of society in its first stages.]
1857. O. Brownson, Convert, Wks. V. 115–6. A poor man … become rich by trade, speculation, or the successful exploitation of labour.
1868. Pall Mall Gaz., 15 May, 3/2. The exploitation of the credulous public.
1877. Mrs. Oliphant, Makers Flor., ix. 225. Their whole existence [was] an exploitation of the helpless people they reigned over.
1887. L. Oliphant, Fashionable Philos., 33. Put a stop to the exploitation and subjugation of Eastern countries.
2. The action of reconnoitring.
1871. Daily News, 18 Sept., 5/6. It surely indicated lax exploitation that the advance column should have blindly butted its head against this broken bridge.
