Meaning of charge in English

charge

verb

/tʃɑːdʒ/ us

/tʃɑːrdʒ/

charge verb (MONEY)

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B1 [ T or I ]

to ask an amount of money for something, especially a service or activity:

charge for The local museum doesn't charge for admission.

charge something for something/doing something How much do you charge for a haircut and blow-dry?

charge someone for something/doing something Can I charge the company for petrol I use getting to work?

charge someone to do something He says it's unfair to charge people to use public lands they already pay for with their taxes.

[ + two objects ] They charge you $20 just to get in the nightclub.

charge commission The bank charged commission to change my traveller's cheques.

charge something to someone's account

to record an amount that a customer has spent for them to pay at a later time, according to an agreement between a business and the customer:

Charge the bill to my account, please.

More examplesFewer examples

How much do you charge for hiring out a bicycle for a week?
He charges anywhere from $20 to $50 for a haircut and blow-dry.
The restaurant charges shockingly high prices for its food.
The plumber charges £60 an hour.
The policy of charging air travellers for vegetarian meals proved unpopular.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Bills & invoices

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charge verb (ACCUSE FORMALLY)

B2 [ T ]

(of the police) to make a formal statement saying that someone is accused of a crime:

charge someone with something/doing something She is charged with murdering her husband.

Police have arrested him and charged him with manslaughter.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to accuse someone of something

accuseHe was accused of statutory rape.
make an accusation againstShe was arrested for making false accusations against her former employer.
level an accusation againstFerguson was furious at the accusations levelled against his player.
level a charge againstShe denied all the charges levelled against her.
hurl accusations atShe hurled accusations at her ex-husband across the courtroom.
charge someone withHe was charged with three counts of fraud.

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formal

to publicly accuse someone of doing something bad:

charge someone with something/doing something The newspaper article charged her with using the company's money for her own purposes.

More examplesFewer examples

Two sisters have been charged with murder.
He tried to run away from the police and was charged with resisting arrest.
He was charged with driving 75 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Several England supporters were arrested and charged with disturbing the peace after the match.
Six rugby internationals were charged with taking drugs to improve their performance.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Blaming & accusing

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Arresting & charging

charge verb (MOVE FORWARD)

B2 [ I or T ]

to move forward quickly and violently, especially towards something that has caused difficulty or anger:

The bull lowered its horns and charged.

charge at The violence began when the police charged at a crowd of demonstrators.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to move fast

speedHe ran back to his car and sped off.
raceShe raced over and hugged me.
flyShe flew across the room just in time to stop the baby falling off the chair.
beltUK Traffic was belting along the motorway.
tearA fire truck came tearing down the road.
streakBullets streaked across the sky.

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[ I + adv/prep ] informal

to hurry from one place to another:

charge around I've been charging around all day and I'm exhausted.

charge about UK I've been charging about all day and I'm exhausted.

He came charging up the stairs to tell me the good news.

[ T or I ]

in sports such as basketball, to run into another player in a way that is not allowed by the rules:

The referee blew the whistle because the forward charged the defender.

More examplesFewer examples

The children charged in, demanding ice cream.
As the protesters drew nearer, the soldiers charged.
Stop charging around - you'll wear yourself out!
The herd of rhinos charged towards us.
Crowds of demonstrators charged police lines.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Moving quickly

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Attacking & invading

Basketball, netball & volleyball

charge verb (EXPLOSIVE)

[ T ]

to put enough explosive into a gun to fire it once

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Guns

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charge verb (ORDER)

[ T often passive ] formal

to order someone to do something:

be charged with He was charged with taking care of the premises.

[ T ] law US specialized

When a judge charges a jury, he or she explains the details of the law to them.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Giving orders & commands

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Judges & juries

charge verb (SUPPLY ENERGY)

B2 [ I or T ]

to put electricity into an electrical device such as a battery:

She drove the car round the block to charge up its batteries.

It's not working - I don't think the battery is charging.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Electricity & electronics

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Phrasal verb

charge something down

charge

noun

/tʃɑːdʒ/ us

/tʃɑːrdʒ/

charge noun (MONEY)

B1 [ C or U ]

the amount of money that you have to pay for something, especially for an activity or service:

Is there a charge for children or do they go free?

They will also check your tyres for a small charge.

Water and bread are placed on the table at no additional charge.

See also

admission charge
congestion charge
free of charge

More examplesFewer examples

Although long-distance phone calls are going up, the charge for local calls will not alter.
Interest charges on an overdraft are usually quite high.
Prescription charges are rising in June.
I just want a basic bank account with low charges.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Costs & expenses

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charge noun (FORMAL ACCUSATION)

C1 [ C ] law specialized

a formal police statement saying that someone is accused of a crime:

criminal charges The 19-year-old will be appearing in court on Thursday where she will face criminal charges.

on a charge of He has been arrested on a charge of murder.

bring a charge against The police brought a charge of theft against him.

drop charges against The police have had to drop (= stop) charges against her because they couldn't find any evidence.

trumped-up charge He claimed he had been arrested on a trumped-up (= false) charge.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to accuse someone of something

accuseHe was accused of statutory rape.
make an accusation againstShe was arrested for making false accusations against her former employer.
level an accusation againstFerguson was furious at the accusations levelled against his player.
level a charge againstShe denied all the charges levelled against her.
hurl accusations atShe hurled accusations at her ex-husband across the courtroom.
charge someone withHe was charged with three counts of fraud.

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[ C ] formal

the act of accusing someone of something bad:

[ + that ] The president responded angrily to the charge that she had lost touch with her country's people.

Her refusal to condemn the violence left her open to the charge of positive support for the campaign (= allowed people to say that she supported it).

More examplesFewer examples

The company pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter.
The charge of murder was altered to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Both men vehemently denied the charges against them.
Criminal charges will be brought against the driver of the lorry.
Simson, aged 19, was convicted on two charges of burglary.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Blaming & accusing

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Arresting & charging

charge noun (CONTROL)

in charge

being the person who has control of or is responsible for someone or something:

in charge of Who will be in charge of the department when Sophie leaves?

B2 [ U ]

responsibility for controlling or caring for something:

have charge of Her ex-husband has charge of the children during the week and she has them at the weekend.

take charge His boss asked him to take charge of the office for a few days while she was away.

Synonyms

care  (PROTECTION)
custody (CARE)
guardianship
guidance
keeping
protection
responsibility (DUTY)
tutelage formal

[ C ] old-fashioned

a person, especially a child, who is in your care and who you are responsible for

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Duty, obligation and responsibility

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charge noun (EXPLOSIVE)

[ C ]

the amount of explosive to be fired at one time, or the bullet or other explosive object shot from a gun

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Bombs & missiles

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charge noun (MOVE FORWARD)

[ C ]

an attack in which people or animals suddenly run forward:

a charge of buffalo/elephants

a police charge

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Moving quickly

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Attacking & invading

charge noun (ORDER)

[ C ] formal

an order to do something

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Instructions and orders

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charge noun (ENERGY)

[ C or U ]

the amount or type of electricity that an electrical device stores or that a substance carries:

My phone had run out of charge.

negative charge The electron has a negative charge.

positive charge The proton has a positive charge.

on charge UK

If something is on charge, you are putting an amount of electricity into it:

Is it all right to leave/put the battery on charge overnight?

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Electricity & electronics

See more results »

(Definition of charge from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

charge | American Dictionary

charge

verb

/tʃɑrdʒ/

charge verb (ASK FOR MONEY)

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[ I/T ]

to ask for a price for something:

[ T ] I think they charge too much for football tickets.

charge verb (OWE)

[ T ]

to buy something and agree to pay for it later:

I didn’t have any cash, so I charged the food.

charge verb (ACCUSE)

[ T ]

to accuse someone of something, esp. to officially accuse someone of a crime:

He was charged with resisting arrest.

charge verb (MOVE FORWARD)

[ I/T ]

to move forward quickly, esp. to attack:

[ T ] When the batter was hit with the pitch, he dropped his bat and charged the pitcher.

charge verb (STORE ENERGY)

[ I/T ]

to put electrical energy into a storage device such as a battery :

[ I ] It takes several hours for my laptop’s batteries to charge.

charge verb (INSTRUCT)

[ T ] law

to instruct (the people deciding a legal case) what the law is in a particular case:

The judge charged the jury before deliberations began.

Idioms

charged up

in charge (of something/someone)

charge

noun

/tʃɑrdʒ/

charge noun (CONTROL)

[ U ]

responsibility for the control of something or the care of someone:

Marilyn agreed to take charge of fundraising.

charge noun (EXPLOSIVE)

[ C ]

the amount of explosive to be fired at one time

charge noun (STORAGE OF ENERGY)

[ C/U ] chemistry, physics

the amount of electricity that an electrical device stores or carries

[ C/U ] chemistry, physics

A positive or negative electrical charge is a basic characteristic of matter.

(Definition of charge from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

charge | Business English

charge

verb

/tʃɑːdʒ/ us

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[ I or T ] COMMERCE, FINANCE

to ask for a particular amount of money for something, especially a service or activity:

charge (sb) sth for sth How much will you charge us for shipping and handling?

They charged $200 for insurance.

charge (sb) for sth We do not charge you for this service.

charge a price/fee, etc. He considered that the price they were charging was fair.

The bank charges a commission to withdraw money from a foreign ATM.

[ T ]

to pay for something by credit card:

I don't have any cash - I'll charge it.

charge sth to sb's account

if you charge something to someone's account , the amount they have spent is recorded and they pay for it at a later time:

Charge the bill to my account, please.

[ T ] ACCOUNTING

to record something as a cost in a financial account:

charge sth to sth The depreciation is charged to the profit and loss account.

[ T ] LAW

to make a formal statement saying that someone is accused of a crime:

charge sb with sth The property developer was charged with fraud.

[ T ]

to publicly accuse someone of having done something bad:

charge sb with sth The newspaper charged him with misleading the public about the seriousness of the situation.

[ T, often passive ]

to ask someone to do a particular job:

be charged with sth The committee has been charged with developing a new funding formula.

Phrasal verb

charge off

charge

noun

/tʃɑːdʒ/ us

[ C or U ] COMMERCE, FINANCE

the amount of money that you have to pay for something, especially for a service:

make/impose/incur a charge If you fail to cancel the booking within the specified period, you will incur a charge.

charge for sb/sth Is there a charge for children or do they go free?

small/nominal charge We make a nominal charge for this service.

high charges Small investors are put off by the high charges for this sort of account

There will be a one-off charge of £30.

Interest charges on an overdraft are usually quite high.

We will deliver to your home free of charge.

[ C ] ACCOUNTING

a cost that is recorded in a company's financial accounts:

take a charge for sth The company expects to take a charge for various expenses relating to the acquisition.

Depreciation is treated as a charge in the profit and loss account.

[ C ] LAW, PROPERTY

→ charge on assets :

a mortgage, or other charge against the property

[ C ] LAW

a formal statement accusing someone of committing a crime:

bring a charge against sb Charges were brought against the UK company under the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act.

on a charge of sth She was arrested on a charge of fraud.

criminal charges

He was taken into custody but released without charge.

[ C ]

a statement that someone has done something bad:

He responded angrily to the charge that he had not acted in the best interests of the company.

in charge

in control of or responsible for someone or something:

Who will be in charge of the department when Sophie leaves?

From now on, Steve is in charge.

leave sb in charge (of sth) He was on vacation and had left his deputy in charge.

put sb in charge (of sth) I put Jack in charge of making the travel arrangements.

take charge (of sth)

to take control of something or of a group of people:

His boss asked him to take charge of the office for a few days while she was away.

Examples of charge

charge

Under those circumstances, a system of tradable permits (with grandfathering of the initial allocation) could prove more politically acceptable than one of charges.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Intuitively, with the pollution charge set too high, good 2 is protected less than good, 3 initially.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This charge is usually raised when minority or immigrant children are taught in a language other than their own.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

They took charge of day-to-day administration and defence planning.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

A force that exists only between charged molecules (ions) or surfaces.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The 1859 law allowed the registration of haciendas and labour contracts, but the $.10 per contract charge acted as a disincentive to the system's use.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These things would then not be a charge on the actual flats.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Municipalities in charge of organizing services (thereby determining the need for staff) have no say in higher education policy.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Accounts of taking charge and assertions of robust identities tended to dominate the early interviews.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This shows that willingness to do everything possible to help the embryo survive is not sufficient to exculpate the agents from the charge of instrumentalization.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This has created an institutional vacuum where no equivalent rural institutions have emerged to take charge of the functions undertaken by the communidades.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The motion of charged particles across the field tends to be reduced, and changed in direction.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This does not, in the case of charged particles, require any collision to take place.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

He was probably also in charge of the production of performing parts for these operas.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Thus, providing water access to a household raises its water consumption tremendously, regardless of prices charged for water before or after the access change.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with charge

charge

These are words often used in combination with charge.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

additional charge

There was, therefore, no additional charge to public funds for their entertainment.

From the

Hansard archive

Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0

charge of hypocrisy

This created a barrier to entry into church culture, especially since to profess involvement while failing to live up to these expectations was to incur the charge of hypocrisy.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

charge of racism

Hacohen defends liberal universalism against the charge of racism and sexism.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

See all collocations with charge

What is the pronunciation of charge?

Translations of charge

in Chinese (Traditional)

錢, （尤指對某一服務或活動）收費，要價，開價, 正式起訴…

in Chinese (Simplified)

钱, （尤指对某一服务或活动）收费，要价，开价, 正式起诉…

in Spanish

cobrar, acusar, cargar…

in Portuguese

cobrar, acusar, lançar-se…

in more languages

in Marathi

in Japanese

in Turkish

in French

in Catalan

in Dutch

in Tamil

in Hindi

in Gujarati

in Danish

in Swedish

in Malay

in German

in Norwegian

in Urdu

in Ukrainian

in Telugu

in Bengali

in Czech

in Indonesian

in Thai

in Vietnamese

in Polish

in Korean

in Italian

एखाद्या गोष्टीसाठी, विशेषत: सेवा किंवा उपक्रमासाठी पैसे मागणे, आरोप ठेवणे…

料金, 告訴, （金額を）請求する…

ücret, fiyat, tutar…

prix [masculine], inculpation [feminine], accusation [feminine]…

preu, cost, càrrec…

vragen, aanrekenen, beschuldigen…

ஏதோவொன்றுக்கு, குறிப்பாக ஒரு சேவை அல்லது செயலுக்காக ஒரு தொகையைக் கேட்க, (காவல்துறையின்) யாரோ ஒருவர் ஒரு குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டதாக ஒரு முறையான அறிக்கையை வெளியிட…

(किसी सेवा या कार्य के लिए) दाम माँगना, शुल्क लेना, आरोप लगाना…

કોઈ સેવા કે કાર્યવાહી માટે માંગેલું મૂલ્ય, આરોપ લગાવવા (પોલીસના), આક્રમક રીતે આગળ વધો…

forlange, tage, skrive på…

ta [betalt], debitera, skriva upp på ngn[s konto]…

caj, menuduh, menyerang…

berechnen, beschuldigen, angreifen…

pris [masculine], anklage [masculine], siktelse [masculine]…

کمیشن یا قیمت وصول کرنا, کسی کو باقاعدہ ملزم قرار دینا, الزام لگانا…

призначати, правити ціну, записати в борг…

ఒక దానికి. ముఖ్యంగా ఒక సేవ లేక చర్యకు ఒక సంఖ్య డబ్బులు అడగడం, నేరాభియోగం చేయు, నేరం చేశారని అభియోగం మోపబడిన వ్యక్తి మీద (పోలీసులు)ఒక అధికారిక ప్రకటన చేయు…

দাম নেওয়া, কারও বিরুদ্ধে অপরাধ করার অভিযোগ দায়ের করা, যে জিনিসটাতে রাগ বা অসুবিধা হয়েছে তার দিকে হিংস্রভাবে ছুটে এসে আক্রমণ করা…

účtovat, připsat (na účet), obvinit z…

minta bayaran, menagih, menuduh…

เรียกเก็บเงิน, เรียบเก็บค่าใช้จ่าย, กล่าวหา…

ra giá, ghi sổ nợ, buộc tội…

opłata, zarzut, oskarżenie…