Collateral Damage for Dummies
noun
What does Collateral Damage really mean?
Hey there! Let me break down the meaning of "Collateral Damage" for you. It's not a super complex concept, although the term might sound a bit fancy.
So, imagine you're playing a game of dominoes. You set up a bunch of dominoes in a line, and when one falls, it knocks down the next one, which in turn knocks down the one after that, and so on. Sometimes, though, there might be other objects nearby that accidentally get knocked down when the dominoes fall. These objects weren't the main target and you didn't intend for them to fall, but because they were close by, they end up being affected or damaged by the falling dominoes. Well, that's kind of like "Collateral Damage."
When we talk about "Collateral Damage," we're referring to the unintended harm or damage that happens to people, places, or things that are close to the main target of, let's say, a military operation or a big event. The main target could be something like an enemy's military base or a specific building, for example. However, in some cases, when trying to hit that target, there can be unintended consequences.
Think of it like when a superhero tries to defeat a villain who's causing trouble in a crowded city. The superhero wants to stop the villain and protect the city, but sometimes, the actions taken to stop the villain can unintentionally harm innocent bystanders or damage nearby buildings. Those innocent people or buildings are the "Collateral Damage." They got affected not because they were the main focus, but because they were unfortunately caught up in the superhero's efforts to stop the bad guy.
Similarly, in real-life situations, "Collateral Damage" often refers to the unintended harm or damage that occurs during military operations, such as bombings or airstrikes. The main goal of these operations might be to destroy specific targets that pose a threat, like enemy buildings or vehicles. However, it's possible that nearby homes, infrastructure, or even innocent civilians get harmed or impacted as well. And that's "Collateral Damage."
I hope that long explanation helped you understand what "Collateral Damage" means! Feel free to ask any more questions if you need further clarification.
Revised and Fact checked by Daniel Clark on 2023-10-28 05:54:20
Collateral Damage In a sentece
Learn how to use Collateral Damage inside a sentece
- During a bombing, the buildings around the target area were damaged. This damage to the surrounding buildings is called collateral damage.
- In a war, sometimes innocent people get hurt or killed unintentionally. This unintended harm caused to the innocent people is known as collateral damage.
- When a car crashes into a tree, the tree may get damaged even though it was not the main target. This damage to the tree is considered collateral damage.
- In a firefight between two groups, bullets may hit nearby houses and cause damage to them. This unintended damage inflicted on the houses is referred to as collateral damage.
- In a computer virus attack, not only do the infected files get destroyed, but also other files in the computer that were not intended to be affected. This additional damage is known as collateral damage.
Collateral Damage Hypernyms
Words that are more generic than the original word.
Collateral Damage Category
The domain category to which the original word belongs.
Collateral Damage Usage Of
Words that the original word is a domain usage of.