From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Exploitation \Ex`ploi*ta"tion\, n. [F.]
The act of exploiting or utilizing. --J. D. Whitney.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
exploitation
n 1: 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"
[syn: exploitation, development]
2: 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" [syn: exploitation, victimization,
victimisation, using]