Word
casualty
Phoneticsca·su·al·ty
US/ˈkæʒəɫti/
UK/kˈæʒuːəlti/
Definitions
01victim of accident or war
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person who is injured or killed in a serious accident or a war.
n. a person killed or injured in a war or accident. Often used in the plural to report total losses after a conflict or disaster.
日本語:犠牲者※
“The news reported that there were many casualties after the earthquake hit the city.”
“Military analysts expressed concern over the rising number of civilian casualties as the conflict moved into more densely populated urban areas.”
Antonyms
02metaphorical victim
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. someone or something that is destroyed or suffers because of a situation or event.
n. a person or thing that suffers, is lost, or is destroyed as a result of a particular event or series of events.
日本語:犠牲※
“Small local shops were the main casualties of the new shopping mall opening nearby.”
“The arts programme became an early casualty of the government's aggressive new austerity measures and budget cuts.”
Antonyms
03hospital department
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Medicine British English
n. the part of a hospital where people go when they have a sudden injury or emergency.
n. the department of a hospital providing immediate treatment for emergency cases.
“He was rushed to casualty after he fell off his bike and broke his arm.”
“The casualty department was overwhelmed on Saturday night following a multi-vehicle pileup on the motorway.”
Usage
Often used as a proper noun or as 'the casualty department'.
Synonyms
04military unavailability
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Military Technical
n. a soldier who cannot fight anymore because they are dead, hurt, sick, or captured.
n. a person in military service who becomes unavailable for duty due to death, injury, illness, capture, or desertion.
“The general was shocked by the high casualty rate during the first day of the battle.”
“The official report included every soldier missing in action as a casualty until their specific status could be verified by field intelligence.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “casualty” in context.
Verb
01. become a casualty
“Local bookstores have become a casualty of the rise in online shopping and digital readers.”
verb + noun
02. inflict heavy casualties
“The defending forces managed to inflict heavy casualties on the invading army during the first wave.”
verb + noun
03. suffer high casualties
“Both sides suffered high casualties in the brutal trench warfare that lasted for months.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. civilian casualties
“The international community expressed outrage over the rising number of civilian casualties in the conflict zone.”
adj + noun
05. mass casualties
“Emergency services conducted a drill to prepare for a mass casualty event at the stadium.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. casualty department
“He was rushed to the casualty department after sustaining a deep gash during the football match.”
noun + noun
07. list of casualties
“The government has not yet released a full list of casualties following the earthquake.”
noun + of + noun
Real-World Examples
“Russia suffered a reported 39,000 casualties in June and nearly 43,000 in July – its highest losses since January 2025.” “Regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko said the fire had been brought under control and cleared with no casualties reported.” “The number of civilian casualties in July was the highest we documented in a single month since March 2022,” said Danielle Bell, HRMMU chief.” “Three trauma centres - Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield - say they have treated nearly 500 casualties under the age of 16.” Etymology
From casual, from Middle French casuel, from Medieval Latin casualitas and Late Latin cāsuālis (“happening by chance”), from Latin cāsus (“event”) (English case), from cadere (“to fall”). Originally meaning “a chance event” (compare casual, as in “casual encounter”), it developed a negative meaning as “an unfortunate event”, especially the loss of a person.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/casualty
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0