collateral damage

noun

: injury inflicted on something other than an intended target
specifically : civilian casualties of a military operation

Examples of collateral damage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web If the public comes to see OpenAI as an unethical actor, Microsoft’s reputation could sustain collateral damage too. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 21 May 2024 The truth of the matter is, 2,000 pound bombs that are not precision guided inevitably lead to a lot of collateral damage. CBS News, 19 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for collateral damage 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'collateral damage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of collateral damage was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near collateral damage

Cite this Entry

“Collateral damage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collateral%20damage. Accessed 31 May. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on collateral damage

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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