a casualty of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a casualty of" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to describe someone or something that has been negatively affected or harmed by a particular situation or event. Example: "The company was a casualty of the economic downturn, leading to significant layoffs."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Science & Research

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

That became a casualty of the recession.

The New York Times

Trust, too, was a casualty of age.

The New Yorker

Arcade became a casualty of the move.

The Guardian

Yet Sophia became a casualty of geopolitics.

The Guardian - Opinion

No doubt it was a casualty of divorce.

The New Yorker

But the soldier was not only a casualty of war.

The New York Times

As so often, truth has become a casualty of war.

Independent

Corona, never rebuilt, became a casualty of war.

The New York Times

The toy was a casualty of play, with snapped handlebars.

The Washington Post

In fact his book is itself a casualty of Chandler.

The Guardian - Tech

Aid work has been a casualty of the latest conflict.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the phrase with large-scale events or trends (e.g. "a casualty of the recession", "a casualty of globalization") to effectively communicate broad societal impact

Common error

Do not use "a casualty of" for minor inconveniences or easily replaceable items. Since the term is rooted in military and fatal contexts, using it for something like "a casualty of a bad haircut" can come across as hyperbole or unintentional irony unless that is the specific intended tone.

Linguistic Context

In the English language, "a casualty of" functions as a noun phrase that identifies a subject as having been destroyed, lost or severely damaged by an external circumstance. It often acts as a subjective complement after linking verbs like "to be", "to become" or "to prove". According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically solid and follows standard prepositional phrase patterns.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Social Media

3%

Wiki

2%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a casualty of" is a versatile and powerful idiom used to describe collateral damage in both literal and figurative senses. Data from Ludwig shows it is particularly favored by elite publications like The New York Times and The Economist to describe the erosion of values, institutions or businesses during times of crisis. While it can be interchanged with "a victim of", it carries a more analytical and less emotive tone, focusing on the broader forces at play. It is grammatically standard and highly recommended for writers aiming for a sophisticated, impactful style in journalistic or academic contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a victim of

shifts focus to the suffering or unfair treatment of the subject

a byproduct of

emphasizes that the loss was an incidental or secondary result

a consequence of

provides a more neutral, direct cause-and-effect link

a sacrifice to

implies that something was intentionally given up for a larger cause

lost to

uses a verb-based structure to describe disappearance or defeat

claimed by

suggests the subject was taken or destroyed by a specific force

undermined by

focuses on the gradual weakening or subversion of the subject

a fallout from

highlights the lingering negative effects after an event

at the mercy of

emphasizes the subject's lack of control over the situation

ruined by

conveys a more permanent and devastating level of destruction

FAQs

How to use "a casualty of" in a sentence?

The phrase is used to describe something or someone harmed or destroyed by a situation. For example, "Truth is often "a casualty of" war" or "The small bookstore was "a casualty of" the rise of e-commerce".

What can I say instead of "a casualty of"?

You can use alternatives like "a victim of", "a result of" or "a byproduct of" depending on the context.

What's the difference between "a casualty of" and "a victim of"?

While "a victim of" often implies a sense of injustice or personal suffering, "a casualty of" frequently suggests collateral damage or an impersonal consequence of a larger event.

Is "a casualty of" only used for people?

No, it is very common to use it for abstract ideas, institutions or objects. Ludwig examples show it applied to "trust", "openness", "innovation" and even "table talk".