an impetuous rush toward someone or something
"the wrestler's charge carried him past his adversary"
"the battle began with a cavalry charge"
the quantity of unbalanced electricity in a body (either positive or negative) and construed as an excess or deficiency of electrons
"the battery needed a fresh charge"
attention and management implying responsibility for safety
"he is in the care of a bodyguard"
a special assignment that is given to a person or group
"a confidential mission to London"
"his charge was deliver a message"
a formal statement of a command or injunction to do something
"the judge's charge to the jury"
an assertion that someone is guilty of a fault or offence
"the newspaper published charges that Jones was guilty of drunken driving"
heraldry consisting of a design or image depicted on a shield
"The family crest features an ancient sword as its charge, symbolizing their long history of defending justice."
a quantity of explosive to be set off at one time
"this cartridge has a powder charge of 50 grains"
The amount of money levied for a service.
"The hotel added an extra charge for the daily housekeeping service."
In plain English: A charge is an amount of money you have to pay for something.
"The electric car charge lasted for three hours before we could drive again."
Usage: Use "charge" to refer to the specific price or fee demanded for a product or service, such as stating that the hotel charge was too high. Do not confuse it with "cost," which typically represents the actual expense incurred by the seller rather than the amount paid by the customer.
move quickly and violently
"The car tore down the street"
"He came charging into my office"
cause to be admitted; of persons to an institution
"After the second episode, she had to be committed"
"he was committed to prison"
pay with a credit card; pay with plastic money; postpone payment by recording a purchase as a debt
"Will you pay cash or charge the purchase?"
lie down on command, of hunting dogs
"The hunter gave a sharp whistle for his hounds to charge and lay still until he could get closer to the deer."
instruct (a jury) about the law, its application, and the weighing of evidence
"The judge carefully explained to the jury how much weight they should give to each piece of evidence before asking them to deliberate."
set or ask for a certain price
"How much do you charge for lunch?"
"This fellow charges $100 for a massage"
energize a battery by passing a current through it in the direction opposite to discharge
"I need to charge my car battery"
to assign a duty or responsibility to
"The manager charged each team member with ensuring that all safety protocols were followed during the inspection."
In plain English: To charge is to ask someone for money as payment for something they bought or did.
"The electricity bill charges me extra for using the air conditioner during peak hours."
Usage: Use "charge" when you are officially assigning a specific task or responsibility to someone, such as when a manager tells an employee to handle a project. Do not use it for the physical act of hitting or striking, which requires different verbs like "strike" or "beat."
The word charge comes from the Old French chargier and ultimately from a Latin root meaning "wagon." Originally used to describe loading goods onto a vehicle, it traveled into English with this sense before expanding to include other meanings like responsibility or an attack.