casualty

[kazh-oo-uhl-tee]

noun

plural

casualties 

1. Military.

   1. a member of the armed forces lost to service through death, wounds, sickness, capture, or because their whereabouts or condition cannot be determined.

   2. casualties, loss in numerical strength through any cause, as death, wounds, sickness, capture, or desertion.

2. one who is injured or killed in an accident.

   There were no casualties in the traffic accident.

3. any person, group, thing, etc., that is harmed or destroyed as a result of some act or event.

   Their house was a casualty of the fire.

4. a serious accident, especially one involving bodily injury or death.

casualty

/ ˈkæʒjʊəltɪ /

noun

1. a serviceman who is killed, wounded, captured, or missing as a result of enemy action

2. a person who is injured or killed in an accident

3. a hospital department in which victims of accidents, violence, etc, are treated

4. anything that is lost, damaged, or destroyed as the result of an accident, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of casualty¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; casual + -ty ²; replacing late Middle English casuelte, equivalent to casuel ( casual ) + -te -ty ²

Example Sentences

Sarker told the BBC: "Our main task at the moment is to assess casualties and damage. We are not yet seeing the challenge of rescue from the rubble or debris management at that level."

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Interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressed in a statement his "deep shock and sorrow over the news of casualties in various districts".

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“When the AI bubble pops, it will be one of the first casualties.”

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Local media reported that five people sustained minor injuries from the impact of the grounding, but there have been no other casualties.

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Though this would normally be cause for celebration, West Computing became a casualty of progress, as the department was dissolved.

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Related Words

• blow 
• calamity 
• catastrophe 
• disaster 
• mishap