collateral damage

• Terme d'origine militaire désignant les destructions, blessures ou pertes involontaires de civils ou de non-combattants lors d'une attaque contre une cible légitime. Il s'emploie aussi aujourd'hui au sens large pour toute conséquence négative imprévue ou tout dommage collatéral résultant d'une action ou d'une décision.

A term originally from military contexts referring to unintended destruction, injuries, or deaths of civilians or non-combatants during an attack on a legitimate target. It is now also used more broadly to describe any unintended negative consequences or casualties resulting from an action or decision.

1. Unintended harmC1formal

   Injury or damage inflicted on people or property that are not the intended target, especially in a military context.

   Dommage collatéral

   • The airstrike caused significant collateral damage to nearby civilian homes.
   • Military commanders try to minimize collateral damage during operations.
   • The report detailed the collateral damage from the bombing campaign.

2. Unintended negative consequencesC1informal

   Unforeseen and often negative side effects of an action or decision.

   dégâts collatéraux

   • The new policy had some collateral damage, including job losses in small businesses.
   • The company's restructuring caused collateral damage to employee morale.
   • The project's success came with collateral damage to the environment.