collateral damage

American  

noun

1. the killing of civilians in a military attack.

2. any damage incidental to an activity.

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collateral damage British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of collateral damage

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

At the time, Greenspan told MarketWatch that the biggest challenge facing the central bank was unwinding its enormous postcrisis balance sheet while causing minimal collateral damage to financial markets.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026

“With the yen funding a substantial volume of cross-currency positions, a more aggressive tightening path than markets currently anticipate carries the potential to inflict significant collateral damage well beyond Japan’s borders.”

From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026

The news of peace came with a sense of bewilderment and uncertainty in a region that suffered as collateral damage through months of war.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

"It's not just the medical damage, but the collateral damage for relationships and families that is far greater than people have ever really thought to examine," she adds.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

But the collateral damage of this era of narrowed learning is far harder to measure and will be recognized, if at all, only years into the future.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove