charge

1 of 2

verb

ˈchärj 

charged; charging

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to fix or ask as fee or payment

charges $50 for an office visit

(2)

: to ask payment of (a person)

charge a client for expenses

b

: to record (an item) as an expense, debt, obligation, or liability

charged a new sofa

c(1)

: to impose a financial burden on

charge his estate with debts incurred

(2)

: to impose or record as financial obligation

charge debts to an estate

2

a(1)

: to give an electric charge to

charge a capacitor

(2)

: to restore the active materials in (a storage battery) by the passage of a direct current through in the opposite direction to that of discharge

b(1)

: to place a charge (as of powder) in

(2)

: to load or fill to capacity

c

: to fill or furnish fully

The music is charged with excitement.

d

: electrify sense 2

The crowd was charged by her performance.

e(1)

: to assume as a heraldic bearing (see bearing sense 4)

(2)

: to place a heraldic bearing on

charged his shield with three roses

f

archaic : to lay or put a load on or in : load

horses charged with heavy burdens

3

a

: to rush against : attack

The bull charged the matador.

also : to rush into (an opponent) usually illegally in various sports

b

: to bring (a weapon) into position for attack : level

charge a lance

4

a

: to make an assertion against especially by ascribing guilt or blame

charges him with armed robbery

They were charged as being instigators.

b

: to place the guilt or blame for

charge her failure to negligence

c

: to assert as an accusation

charges that they distorted the data

5

a

: to impose a task or responsibility on

charge him with the job of finding a new meeting place

b

: to command, instruct, or exhort with authority

I charge you not to go.

c

of a judge : to give a charge (see charge entry 2 sense 6a) to (a jury)

intransitive verb

1

: to rush forward in or as if in assault : attack

came charging into the room

also : to charge an opponent in sports

2

: to ask or set a price

Do you charge for this service?

3

: to charge an item to an account

charge now, pay later

4

of a battery or battery-powered device : to gain an electric charge : to receive and store a greater quantity of electrical energy

She left the phone charging overnight.

charge

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: the price demanded for something

no admission charge

b

: a debit to an account

The purchase was a charge.

c

: expense, cost

gave the banquet at his own charge

d

: the record of a loan (as of a book from a library)

e

British : an interest in property granted as security for a loan

2

a

: a definite quantity of electricity

especially : an excess or deficiency of electrons in a body

b

: the quantity of explosive used in a single discharge

c

: the quantity that an apparatus is intended to receive and fitted to hold

the charge of chemicals in a fire extinguisher

d

: thrill, kick

got a charge out of the game

e

: a store or accumulation of impelling force

the deeply emotional charge of the drama

3

a

: management, supervision

has charge of the home office

see also take charge

b

: a person or thing committed into the care of another

played with her young charges at the day-care center

c

: obligation, requirement

… to maintain this readiness … is … a first charge upon our military effort …

—Sir Winston Churchill

d

: the ecclesiastical jurisdiction (such as a parish) committed to a clergyman

4

a

: a formal assertion of illegality

a charge of murder

b

: a statement of complaint or hostile criticism

denied the charges of nepotism that were leveled against him

5

a(1)

: a violent rush forward (as to attack)

the charge of the brigade

(2)

: the signal for attack

sound the charge

b

: a usually illegal rush into an opponent in various sports (such as basketball)

6

a

: instruction, command

… he gave them charge about the Queen, To guard and foster her forevermore.

—Alfred Tennyson

b

: instruction in points of law given by a court to a jury

7

a

: a figure borne on a heraldic field

b

obsolete : a material load or weight

Phrases

in charge

: having control or custody of something

He is in charge of the training program.

Synonyms

Verb

• ask
• command
• demand

Noun

• complaint
• count
• indictment
• rap

Choose the Right Synonym for charge

command, order, bid, enjoin, direct, instruct, charge mean to issue orders.

command and order imply authority and usually some degree of formality and impersonality.

command stresses official exercise of authority.

a general commanding troops

order may suggest peremptory or arbitrary exercise.

ordered his employees about

bid suggests giving orders peremptorily (as to children or servants).

she bade him be seated

enjoin implies giving an order or direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or solicitude.

a sign enjoining patrons to be quiet

direct and instruct both connote expectation of obedience and usually concern specific points of procedure or method, instruct sometimes implying greater explicitness or formality.

directed her assistant to hold all calls

the judge instructed the jury to ignore the remark

charge adds to enjoin an implication of imposing as a duty or responsibility.

charged by the President with a secret mission

Examples of charge in a Sentence

Verb

We tried to charge the car's battery.

The government charged that he had not paid taxes for five years.

It is not clear if he violated the rules, as his critics have charged.

The basketball player was charged with a foul.

Noun

He set off a charge that destroyed the mountain.

He has charge of the building.

There is no charge for fixing the tire.

a delivery charge for the refrigerator

an admission charge at the fair

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Gu was charged with the murder and Devillers was a cooperating witness at the trial. —Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 25 Dec. 2024

Daniel Rodriguez, 18, of Azusa was taken into custody Saturday and subsequently charged with one count of murder. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024

Noun

The immediate reason for that is that Benjamin Netanyahu needs to prolong the ghastly war in Gaza to avoid standing trial at home on corruption charges which carry a prison sentence. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024

He was found guilty of the latter charge in 1893 and sentenced to two years in prison, but he was acquitted on appeal. —Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 25 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English chargen "to load, burden, trouble, accuse, impose a duty on, tax, call to account, attach importance to," borrowed from Anglo-French charger, carger, carker (also continental Old French), going back to Late Latin carricāre "to load onto a cart, transport," from carrum "vehicle, cart" + -icāre, verb formative — more at car

Noun

Middle English, "load, cargo, burden, encumbrance, duty, concern, significance, order, accusation, impost," borrowed from Anglo-French, noun derivative of charger "to load, burden, accuse" — more at charge entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2f

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7b

Phrases Containing charge

• at no charge
• banzai charge
• carrying charge
• charge account
• charge card
• charge-coupled device
• charge nurse
• charge off
• charge of quarters
• charge sheet
• conservation of charge
• counter-charge
• cover charge
• depth charge
• elementary charge
• fixed charge
• free of charge
• get a charge out of
• in charge
• in charge of
• reverse-charge
• reverse the charge
• service charge
• shaped charge
• space charge
• stratified charge engine
• take charge
• took charge of the situation

Kids Definition

charge

1 of 2 noun

ˈchärj 

1

a

: the amount (as of ammunition or fuel) needed to load or fill something

b

: a quantity of electricity

an electric charge

2

a

: a task, duty, or order given to a person : obligation

b

: the work or duty of managing

has charge of the building

c

: a person or thing given to another person to look after

3

: an instruction, command, or explanation based on authority

a judge's charge to the jury

4

a

: the price demanded especially for a service

b

: an amount listed as a debt on an account

5

: a claim of wrongdoing : accusation

a charge of burglary

6

a

: a rush to attack an enemy : assault

the charge of the army

b

: the signal for attack

sound the charge

c

: a usually illegal rush into an opponent in various sports (as basketball)

charge

2 of 2 verb

charged; charging

1

a

: load entry 2 sense 1a, fill

b

: to give an electric charge to

c

: to restore the active materials in a storage battery by the passage of a direct current through in the opposite direction to that of the flowing out of electricity from the battery

d

: to gain an electric charge : to receive and store a greater amount of electrical energy

left the phone charging

2

a

: to give a task or responsibility to

charge him with the job

b

: to give an order by right of authority to

I charge you not to go

3

: to accuse formally

charged with theft

4

: to rush against

also : to rush into (an opponent) usually illegally in sports

5

a

: to enter as a debt or responsibility on a record

charged the purchase to my account

b

: to ask or set as a price

charged $100 for repairs

chargeable

ˈchär-jə-bəl

adjective

Medical Definition

charge

1 of 2 transitive verb

ˈchärj 

charged; charging

: to give an electric charge to

charge

2 of 2 noun

1

: a plaster or ointment used on a domestic animal

2

: a definite quantity of electricity

especially : an excess or deficiency of electrons in a body

3

: cathexis sense 2

Legal Definition

charge

1 of 2 noun

1

a

: something required : obligation

b

: personal management or supervision

put the child in his charge

c

: a person or thing placed under the care of another

2

: an authoritative instruction or command

especially : instruction in points of law given by a judge to a jury

conviction…reversed, because of trial court's charge

—W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.

3

a

: an incurred expense

b

: the price demanded for something (as admission or use)

a finance charge

c

: a debit to an account

especially : a debit resulting from unexpected operating expenses

a charge against earnings

4

: a formal allegation of an offense or wrongdoing

based on a charge that was dismissed

—National Law Journal

see also complaint, indictment, information

charge

2 of 2 transitive verb

charged; charging

1

a

: to impose a task or responsibility on

was charged with protecting civil rights

b

: to command or instruct with authority

especially : to give a charge to (a jury)

the jury should have been charged on common-law negligence

—National Law Journal

2

a

: to make an accusation against especially in order to bring to trial

charging her with attempted robbery

see also accuse, indict

b

: to allege especially as an accusation

crimes charged in the indictment

3

a

: to impose a financial liability on

charge the estate

b

: to impose or record as a financial burden or liability

charge the debts to the estate

charging the loss against earnings

4

a

: to fix or ask as a fee or payment

charge $4 for parking

b

: to ask payment of (an individual or organization)

charge a client for expenses

chargeable adjective