casualty
12
4.6
- noun
- /ˈkæʒuəlti/
- The accident resulted in multiple casualties on the highway, prompting an emergency response.
- one casualty
- first casualty
- become a casualty
Examples
-
On the very first day, there was a casualty for every half meter of the entire frontline.
-
Their plan is to incur maximum civilian casualties.
-
It's a casualty of war, Captain, and we're at war.
-
Just a casualty of war.
-
As you can see, the situation is not without its casualties.
-
Casualties were kept to a minimum, but the impact was global.
-
Not surprisingly, then, the principal casualty of this process has been the Catholic left.
Academic text (1999) -
But for now, she must feel like the biggest casualty in our family's war.
Fiction book (1996) -
Among the first casualties of the crisis were the continent's extensive social-welfare programs.
Academic text (2011) -
Casualty confirmed, deceased.
Synonyms
178
2.8
The reason a person died as recorded by a doctor or other official
17
2.9
An event that causes someone's death
Compounds
- Specialized
1
9.3
A member of the military who is killed or captured during a fight
- Jargon
Loss or serious damage to military equipment caused by an enemy attack
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Casualty comes from the old Latin word casus, meaning 'chance' or 'what happens', so it can also mean a death that comes from an unexpected event, such as an accident. This is why a workplace or road 'casualty' refers to someone who died because of that incident.