collateral damage

American

noun

the killing of civilians in a military attack.
any damage incidental to an activity.

collateral damage British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of collateral damage

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Chemotherapy attempts to control the disease through widespread cell destruction, causing significant collateral damage to healthy tissues that lead to side effects.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026

Multiyear conversions often reduce this collateral damage and remain one of the most reliable, low-error strategies for reducing taxes over time.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

It prevents large concentrations of civilians at the airport, which makes it easier to manage in an emergency and lowers the risk of collateral damage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

It classifies any collateral damage as an attack.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Which led to all the collateral damage . . . which made her feel like Godzilla.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023