Editing Body count (section)

{{Short description|Number of people killed in an event}}
{{Other uses|Body count (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
[[File:Edward III counting the dead on the battlefield of Crécy.jpg|thumbnail|Edward III's herald, the crowned king of arms, counting the dead after the [[battle of Crécy]]]]

A '''body count''' is the total number of people killed in a particular event. In combat, a body count is often based on the number of confirmed kills, but occasionally only an estimate. Often used in reference to military combat, the term can also refer to any situation involving multiple killings, such as the actions of [[death squad]]s or [[serial killer]]s.

The military gathers such figures for a variety of reasons, such as determining the need for continuing operations, estimating efficiency of new and old weapons systems, and planning follow-up operations.

The term has since been used to describe the number of [[sexual partner]]s a person has engaged with.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=Salmin |first1=Dee |title=Body Count: What's the current obsession? And does it even matter? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/the-hook-up/body-count-sex-number-people-slept-with-tiktok/13614878 |website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=3 November 2021 |access-date=26 September 2022}}</ref>