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

See Examples For:

collateral damage

A. Dirk Moses, the journal’s senior editor since 2011, argues it is useless to distinguish intentional killing of civilians from collateral damage caused by strikes against terrorists.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

But the gain in energy stocks appeared relatively muted when compared with moves seen in other sectors that investors believed could suffer collateral damage.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

The North American trading bloc’s competitiveness could end up as collateral damage if the extended delay slows investment plans, says Grace Fan, head of global policy at TS Lombard.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 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

She’s nothing but collateral damage in this whole mess, and it makes me feel some kind of way.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland