casualty

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "casualty" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to someone who has been killed or injured in a war, accident, or other disaster. For example: "The casualties of the bombing included three women and five children."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

BG Both clubs have such long casualty lists that they are hardly able to rest all their players even if they wanted to, so both should field strong sides.

The Guardian - Sport

The first academic casualty of the Boston College-Jean McConville furore has been a parallel project which was to involve a London-based historian and an ex-RUC officer as well as retired members of the Garda Siochana in the Irish Republic, all with long records in fighting terrorism.

The Guardian

Let Nick Clegg be clear: "The Liberal Democrats will add a heart to a Conservative government, and a brain to a Labour one!" Unfortunately, courage for the cowardly lion will be a casualty of any coalition agreement.

The Guardian

Grade was always less convinced of the need or wisdom of the move to Manchester and made little secret of his view that it would be the first casualty of a low licence fee settlement.

The Guardian - Opinion

The biggest casualty of the Iowa result was congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who came in sixth in spite of being front-runner last summer.

The Guardian

One other obvious casualty of newspaper decline are printing workers.

The Guardian

Up until that point she looked pretty much the only drug casualty we had clocked since arriving in the middle of Kazantip, a month-long Ukrainian rave attended by 200,000 people.

The Guardian - Music

" Jackie, his wife, seeing that he was unwell, tried to get him to go to casualty but Marr refused.

The Guardian

After all, the biggest casualty in all this has been the truth.

The Guardian

In Iraq, after years where the sectarian violence declined year on year, the casualty figures are back up again, in part through the war in Syria.

The Guardian - Opinion

Now we are most likely about to witness a third casualty, Portugal, a small country with low competitiveness, already ostracised by bond investors.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing events with human impact, use "casualty" to accurately convey the extent of harm, injury, or loss sustained, but be mindful of potential sensitivities; consider alternatives like "injured party" or "victim" when appropriate.

Common error

Avoid using "casualty" when describing minor inconveniences or setbacks; reserve it for situations involving significant harm, injury, or loss to maintain its impact. "The project faced a minor setback" is better than "The project became a casualty".

Linguistic Context

The noun "casualty" primarily functions as a countable noun, denoting a person who has been harmed or killed as a result of an accident or violent event. It aligns with Ludwig AI's assessment of its correct and usable nature, which the numerous examples illustrate.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Academia

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "casualty" is a versatile noun primarily used to denote someone injured or killed in an accident, war, or disaster. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is a correct and widely used term, particularly in News & Media. While alternatives like "victim" or "injured party" exist, "casualty" carries a specific connotation of harm resulting from significant events. Therefore, while grammatically sound, its use should be reserved for appropriate contexts to maintain its impact. Its frequent appearance in authoritative sources reinforces its validity and relevance in contemporary English.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

victim

Refers specifically to a person who suffers harm from a crime, accident, or other event.

fatality

Emphasizes death as a result of an accident or violent event.

injured party

Highlights the aspect of injury sustained by someone.

loss

Broad term that encompasses various types of detriments including death, damage, or disadvantage.

sufferer

Focuses on the experience of enduring pain, distress, or hardship.

grievous harm

Emphasizes the severity and impact of the damage inflicted.

sacrifice

Implies a voluntary or involuntary giving up of something valued.

affected individual

Focuses on the impact experienced by a specific person.

missing person

Refers to someone whose whereabouts are unknown, often implying potential harm.

bereavement

Specifically relates to the state of grieving after a loss.

FAQs

How to use "casualty" in a sentence?

The word "casualty" is used to describe someone who has been injured or killed in an accident, war, or other event. For example, "The train crash resulted in multiple casualties".

What can I say instead of "casualty"?

You can use alternatives like "victim", "fatality", or "injured party" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "casualty" or "casualties"?

"Casualty" is singular, referring to one person injured or killed. "Casualties" is plural, referring to multiple people injured or killed.

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

While both terms refer to individuals who suffer harm, "casualty" is often used in the context of accidents, wars, or disasters, whereas "victim" can apply to any situation where someone suffers harm, including crimes.