- [countable] a person who is killed or injured in war or in an accident
- Our primary objective is reducing road casualties.
- Both sides had suffered heavy casualties (= many people had been killed).
Collocations War and peaceWar and peaceStarting a war- declare/make/wage war (on somebody/something)
- go to war (against/with somebody)
- cause/spark/provoke/foment/quell unrest
- incite/lead/crush/suppress a revolt/rebellion
- launch/mount/carry out a surprise/terrorist attack
- prevent/halt/represent an escalation of the conflict
- be torn apart by/be on the brink of civil war
- enter/invade/occupy somebody’s territory
- lead/launch/resist/repel an invasion
- adopt/develop/implement/pursue a military strategy
- carry out/execute/perform military operations/manoeuvres
- send/deploy/station/pull back/withdraw troops
- go on/fly/carry out a reconnaissance/rescue mission
- train/equip/deploy army/military/combat units
- lead/launch/conduct a raid/a surprise attack/an (air/airborne/amphibious) assault (on somebody)
- employ/use guerrilla tactics
- conduct/wage biological/guerrilla warfare
- fight/crush/defeat the rebels/the insurgency
- suffer/inflict a crushing defeat
- achieve/win a decisive victory
- halt/stop the British/German/Russian advance
- order/force a retreat
- join/serve in the army/navy/air force
- be/go/remain/serve on active duty
- serve/complete/return from a tour of duty
- be sent to the front (line)
- attack/strike/engage/defeat/kill/destroy the enemy
- see/report/be engaged in heavy fighting
- call for/be met with armed resistance
- come under heavy/machine-gun/mortar fire
- fire a machine-gun/mortar shells/rockets (at somebody/something)
- shoot a rifle/a pistol/bullets/missiles
- launch/fire a cruise/ballistic/anti-tank missile
- use biological/chemical/nuclear weapons
- inflict/suffer/sustain heavy losses/casualties
- be hit/killed by enemy/friendly/artillery fire
- become/be held as a prisoner of war
- harm/kill/target/protect innocent/unarmed civilians
- cause/avoid/limit/minimize civilian casualties/collateral damage
- impose/enforce/lift a curfew
- engage in/be a victim of ethnic cleansing
- be sent to an internment/a concentration camp
- accept/house/resettle refugees fleeing from war
- fear/threaten military/violent reprisals
- commit/be accused of war crimes/crimes against humanity/genocide
- make/bring/win/achieve/maintain/promote peace
- call for/negotiate/broker/declare a ceasefire/a temporary truce
- sign a ceasefire agreement
- call for/bring/put an end to hostilities
- demand/negotiate/accept the surrender of somebody/something
- establish/send (in) a peacekeeping force
- negotiate/conclude/ratify/sign/accept/reject/break/violate a peace treaty
Extra ExamplesTopics War and conflictc1- Our division suffered only light casualties.
- The guerrillas inflicted heavy casualties on the local population.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- heavy
- high
- serious
- …
- cause
- inflict
- incur
- …
- count
- figures
- list
- …
- [countable] a person who suffers or a thing that is destroyed when something else takes place synonym victim
- She became a casualty of the reduction in part-time work (= she lost her job).
- Small shops have been a casualty of the recession.
Extra ExamplesTopics War and conflictc1- They say that truth is the first casualty of war.
- Their relationship became a casualty of war.
- The main casualty of this scandal will be the minister's reputation.
- [uncountable] (also casualty department, accident and emergency)(all British English)(North American English emergency room)the part of a hospital where people who need immediate treatment are taken
- The victims were rushed to casualty.
- We waited in casualty until a doctor could see us.
- He works as a doctor in casualty.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + casualty- be admitted to
- rush somebody to
- take somebody to
- …
- department
- unit
- ward
- …
- in casualty
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘chance, a chance occurrence’): from medieval Latin casualitas, from casualis, from casus ‘fall’, on the pattern of words such as penalty.
Check pronunciation:
casualty