" Collateral damage " is a term for any incidental and undesired death, injury or other damage inflicted, especially on civilians, as the result of an activity. Originally coined to describe military operations, [1] …

Jan 12, 2026 · The meaning of COLLATERAL DAMAGE is injury inflicted on something other than an intended target; specifically : civilian casualties of a military operation.

Collateral Damage: Directed by Andrew Davis. With Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Leguizamo, Francesca Neri, Elias Koteas. After his family is killed by a terrorist act, a firefighter goes in search of …

The Hidden Cost: In law, collateral damage refers to the unintended, indirect, and often negative consequences that arise from a legal action, affecting people, rights, or property not directly targeted …

COLLATERAL DAMAGE definition: 1. damage done to something or harm done to someone that is not intended 2. during war, the…. Learn more.

Definition of collateral damage noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

: forms of damage including deaths and injuries that are a result of the fighting in a war but happen to people who are not in the military.

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 …

Collateral damage is accidental injury to non-military people or damage to non-military buildings which occurs during a military operation. To minimize collateral damage, maximum precision in bombing …

Jul 25, 2025 · “Collateral damage” specifically refers to civilian casualties or damage to civilian objects that occur as an unintended consequence of attacks on legitimate military targets.