COLLATERAL DAMAGE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does collateral damage mean? 

• COLLATERAL DAMAGE (noun)
  The noun COLLATERAL DAMAGE has 1 sense:

1. (euphemism) inadvertent casualties and destruction inflicted on civilians in the course of military operations

  Familiarity information: COLLATERAL DAMAGE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COLLATERAL DAMAGE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(euphemism) inadvertent casualties and destruction inflicted on civilians in the course of military operations

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("collateral damage" is a kind of...):

casualty; fatal accident (an accident that causes someone to die)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Domain usage:

euphemism (an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh)