From The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition

exploitation

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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 M. 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. 116 A poor man..becoming rich by trade, speculation, or the successful exploitation of labour.

• 1868 Pall Mall G. No. 1017. 1827/2 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 The exploitation and subjugation of Eastern countries.

2. The action of reconnoitring.

• 1871 Daily News 18 Sept., It surely indicated lax exploitation that the advance column should have blindly butted its head against this broken bridge.