casualty

noun

ca·​su·​al·​ty ˈka-zhəl-tē 

ˈkazh-wəl-,

ˈka-zhə-wəl-

plural casualties

1

a

: a military person lost through death, wounds, injury, sickness, internment, or capture or through being missing in action

The army sustained heavy casualties.

b

: a person or thing injured, lost, or destroyed : victim

the ex-senator was a casualty of the last election

2

: serious or fatal accident : disaster

losses from fire, storm, or other casualty

—J. S. Seidman

3

archaic : chance, fortune

losses that befall them by mere casualty

—Sir Walter Raleigh

Synonyms

• fatality
• loss
• prey
• victim

Examples of casualty in a Sentence

a low number of casualties

the real casualties in the war against drugs are millions of innocent children

Recent Examples on the Web

Another could have hit the Israeli parliament or a high-rise apartment house, causing massive casualties. —Thomas L. Friedman, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024

Among the military options that are being considered, the war cabinet is consider an attack on an Iranian facility that would send a message, but would avoid causing casualties, one Israeli official said. —Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024

But one casualty of the Ash Street scandal was Cybele Thompson, who served as the city’s director of real estate assets in the Faulconer administration. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024

Israel’s growing isolation on the international stage — fallout from the staggering number of civilian casualties and an emerging famine in the Palestinian enclave — has only underscored the importance of its relationship with the United States, observers say. —Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024

Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said there were no reports of casualties. —Josef Federman and Jon Gambrell, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2024

The military’s emphasis on the precision of the attack announced on Thursday followed accusations that Israeli bombing has been indiscriminate, causing avoidable civilian casualties, and amid rising criticism over impending famine in Gaza. —Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Younger voters are more likely to disapprove of Biden’s enduring support for Israel’s military operation in Gaza, which has caused heavy casualties among Palestinian civilians. —Darlene Superville, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024

These assaults have caused well over a hundred casualties among U.S. service members. —Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see casual entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

casualty

noun

ca·​su·​al·​ty ˈkazh-əl-tē 

ˈkazh-(ə-)wəl-

plural casualties

1

: a serious or fatal accident : disaster

2

a

: a military person lost (as by death or capture) during warfare

b

: a person or thing injured, lost, or destroyed

Medical Definition

casualty

noun

ca·​su·​al·​ty ˈkazh-əl-tē, ˈkazh-(ə-)wəl- 

plural casualties

1

: a serious or fatal accident

2

: a military person lost through death, wounds, injury, sickness, internment, or capture or through being missing in action

3

a

: injury or death from accident

b

: one injured or killed (as by accident)

Legal Definition

casualty

noun

ca·​su·​al·​ty ˈka-zhəl-tē, ˈka-zhə-wəl- 

plural casualties

1

: an unfortunate occurrence

especially : a serious and often disastrous accident

conversion of property…arising from fire, storm, shipwreck, or other casualty

—Internal Revenue Code

2

: something lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed see also casualty gain at gain, casualty loss at loss