Definition of the word collateral damage

The term "collateral damage" first emerged during the Vietnam War in the 1960s, where it was used to describe unintended harm inflicted on civilians and non-military targets during military operations. The term stemmed from the use of the word "collateral" in the legal and financial context, meaning something that is secondary or incidental to the main object or transaction. In military operations, collateral damage refers to the unintended casualties of civilian and non-combatant targets resulting from the use of weapons and military tactics aimed at achieving a strategic objective. The term is often used in official military and government reports to describe incidents in which civilians and non-combatant targets such as infrastructure and resources are inadvertently targeted or affected by military strikes. The use of "collateral damage" as a euphemism for civilian casualties has been criticized for minimizing the severity and scale of such harm and perpetuating a false image of military operations as devoid of risks and unintended consequences. Some argue that the use of this term perpetuates a cycle of violence and militarization, creating a sense of detachment and desensitization towards civilian harm, and legitimizing the use of disproportionate force against civilians.