casualty

American  

[kazh-oo-uhl-tee] / ˈkæʒ u əl ti /

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 British  

/ 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

---

Etymology

Origin of casualty

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

Example Sentences

The authorities have not yet provided any casualty figures but family members and eyewitnesses told the BBC of four separate deaths in the city.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

The Wall Street Journal couldn’t independently verify the casualty numbers provided by the Taliban government.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Blackstone itself has been a casualty of the software selloff.

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

When journalists are killed for reporting the news, we must fight to ensure truth does not become a casualty too.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

I smelled like brimstone and looked like a casualty from the War.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Related Words

• blow
• calamity
• catastrophe
• disaster
• mishap