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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Casualty: Definition, Usage & Key Distinctions (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：person injured or killed (casualty)

casualty 🔊

/ˈkæʒuəlti/

a person killed or hurt in an accident or war.

Casualty scene showing an emergency responder aiding an injured person after a car accident.

person injured or killed 🔊

➕

/ˈpɜːrsən ɪnˈdʒʊrd ɔːr kɪld/

A person who has been harmed or lost their life due to an accident, conflict, or similar incident.

📁 Category：Warfare & Battle 🔖 Level：中级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'casualis' (by chance) + suffix '-ty', denoting an accidental event.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'casual' + 'ty' – a casual event that turns tragic, resulting in a casualty.

📖 Example

The emergency teams worked quickly to help the casualty after the car crash. 🔊 After the car crash, the emergency teams swiftly assisted the injured person.

🔗 Collocations

civilian casualty – a non-military person killed or injured in a conflict

casualty list – a record of people killed or injured

casualty rate – the number of casualties per unit of time or event

🔄 Synonyms

victim (n.) – a person harmed or killed as a result of an event

fatality (n.) – a death resulting from an accident or disaster

injured (n./adj.) – people who have been hurt

🚫 Antonyms

survivor (n.) – a person who remains alive after an event

unharmed (adj.) – not injured or damaged

📖 Cultural Story

Originates from Latin 'casualitas', meaning chance. In English, it evolved to specifically refer to victims of accidents or wars, now common in military and emergency reports.

Meaning 2：thing lost or destroyed (casualty)

casualty 🔊

/ˈkæʒuəlti/

something lost or destroyed because of a bigger situation or change.

Casualty of progress illustration: new smartphone versus obsolete desktop telephone.

thing lost or destroyed 🔊

➕

/θɪŋ lɒst ɔːr dɪˈstrɔɪd/

An object, institution, or concept that is sacrificed or eliminated due to a larger change or situation.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：中级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

With the rise of online shopping, many small bookstores became the first casualties. 🔊 As online shopping grew in popularity, numerous small bookstores were among the initial losses.

🔗 Collocations

economic casualty – a business or sector that suffers due to economic changes

casualty of progress – something outdated or replaced by advancements

business casualty – a company that fails or is eliminated

🔄 Synonyms

loss (n.) – something that is no longer possessed or available

sacrifice (n.) – something given up for a greater purpose

collateral damage (n.) – unintended damage or loss as a side effect

🚫 Antonyms

gain (n.) – something acquired or benefited

beneficiary (n.) – one who gains advantage from a situation