(DoD) Unintentional or incidental injury or damage to persons or objects that would not be lawful military targets in the circumstances ruling at the time. Such damage is not unlawful so long as it is not excessive in light of the overall military advantage anticipated from the attack.
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 31 January 2011.
| APA | Military Dictionary (DoD). (2011). collateral damage. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/collateral_damage/definitions/1960819 |
| Chicago | Military Dictionary (DoD). 2011. "collateral damage" http://smartdefine.org/collateral_damage/definitions/1960819 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Military Dictionary (DoD) 2011, collateral damage, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/collateral_damage/definitions/1960819>. |
| MLA | Military Dictionary (DoD). "collateral damage" 4 April 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/collateral_damage/definitions/1960819> |