collateral damage

noun

1. the killing of civilians in a military attack.

2. any damage incidental to an activity.

collateral damage

noun

1. military unintentional damage to civil property and civilian casualties, caused by military operations

Word History and Origins

Origin of collateral damage¹

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

He warned that any response could cause collateral damage.

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"Because the city is failing us, and I don't want to feel like I'm collateral damage. And my rights matter, too."

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In one of the film’s most charged moments, Peck turns Orwell’s warning about political language into a montage of modern euphemisms: “peacekeeping operations,” “collateral damage,” “illegals” — and then, pointedly, “antisemitism 2024.”

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"He hoped to minimise any collateral damage or injury to the detainees and any other innocent people," she added.

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The IDF told us that it is "committed to mitigating civilian harm during operational activity" and that it "makes great efforts to estimate and consider potential civilian collateral damage in its strikes".

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