Noun

Singular charge

Plural charges

charge (plural charges)

1. responsibility.

   The child was in the nanny's charge.

2. Someone or something entrusted to one's care, such as a child to a babysitter or a student to a teacher.

   The child was a charge of the nanny.

3. A load or burden; cargo.

   The ship had a charge of colonists and their belongings.

4. The amount of money levied for a service.

   A charge of 5 dollars.

5. An instruction.

   I gave him the charge to get the deal closed by the end of the month.

6. (military) A ground attack against a prepared enemy.

   Pickett died leading his famous charge.

7. An accusation.
   • 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. 261a.

     we'll nail the sophist to it, if we can get him on that charge;

   That's a slanderous charge of abuse of trust.

8. An electric charge.
9. (basketball) An offensive foul in which the player with the ball moves into a stationary defender.
10. A measured amount of powder and/or shot in a firearm cartridge.
11. (heraldry) An image displayed on an escutcheon.

Derived terms

• access charge
• banzai charge
• carrying charge
• chargeback
• chargecard
• charge conjugation
• charge density
• charge hand
• charge nurse
• charge of quarters
• charge-off
• charge plate
• charge sheet
• color charge/colour charge
• cover charge
• deferred charge
• depth charge
• electric charge

• finance charge
• fixed charge
• floating charge
• free of charge
• in charge
• late charge
• negative charge
• nonrecurring charge
• partial charge
• positive charge
• press charges
• redemption charge
• reverse-charge
• reverse the charge
• sales charge
• service charge
• shaped charge
• space charge
• specific charge
• take charge
• trickle charge
• user charge