friendly fire

American  

noun

1. Insurance. a fire deliberately set and remaining contained, as in a fireplace or boiler, from which any resulting loss cannot be claimed as an insurance liability (hostile fire ).

2. (in military combat) fire, as by artillery, by one's own forces, especially when causing damage near or casualties to one's own troops.

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friendly fire British  

noun

1. military firing by one's own side, esp when it harms one's own personnel

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Example Sentences

The US military has announced the loss of several aircraft during Iran operations, including a tanker that crashed in Iraq and three F-15s shot down by Kuwaiti friendly fire.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

They include six aboard a refuelling aircraft that crashed in Iraq, an incident US officials said was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

The incident was not due to hostile or friendly fire according to Central Command.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

Its battlefield management excels at tracking hundreds of incoming drones across varied distances and altitudes, assigning teams to counter them quickly, and managing deconfliction to avoid friendly fire.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

I didn’t want to hear it if she did, but I wasn’t eager to leave the lighted room where my family sat around the friendly fire.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou