collateral damage

collateral damage

n.

Unintended damage, injuries, or deaths caused by an action, especially unintended civilian casualties caused by a military operation.

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collateral damage

n

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

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Unintentional or incidental injury or damage to persons or objects that would not be lawful military targets in the circumstances ruling at the time. Such damage is not unlawful so long as it is not excessive in light of the overall military advantage anticipated from the attack.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

collateral damage - (euphemism) inadvertent casualties and destruction inflicted on civilians in the course of military operations euphemism - an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh fatal accident, casualty - an accident that causes someone to die armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"