Charge Meaning
Charge Definition & Usage
A fee or payment required for a service or transaction.
Examples
- "The charge for parking is $5 an hour."
- "They imposed a delivery charge of $10 on the order."
- "There’s an extra charge for expedited shipping."
- "The restaurant added a service charge to the bill."
- "I didn’t expect the charge to be this high."
To rush forward or attack, often in a group or with force.
Examples
- "The soldiers charged at the enemy position."
- "The bull charged towards the fence."
- "The police charged into the building."
- "The dog charged after the ball."
- "The knight charged on horseback through the battlefield."
The process of storing energy in a device, such as a battery, or the energy itself.
Examples
- "The battery needs a full charge to last the whole day."
- "Make sure to charge your phone overnight."
- "I forgot to charge my laptop, and now it’s dead."
- "The electric car was charged at a fast station."
- "The device showed a low charge, so I plugged it in."
A duty or responsibility entrusted to someone.
Examples
- "She took charge of the project after the manager left."
- "The new CEO is now in charge of the company."
- "I’m in charge of organizing the event this year."
- "He was given charge of the financial department."
- "The teacher is in charge of the class during the trip."
Cultural Context
The word 'charge' has a rich history, originating from the Old French word 'chargier', which meant to load or burden, which is linked to the idea of responsibility or adding a load to someone. Over time, its meaning expanded into various contexts, including finance, electrical devices, and even military action.
The Charge of the Day
Story
The Charge of the Day
It was a typical day at the office, but Emily had something important to tackle. As the newly-appointed project manager, she was in charge of ensuring that the marketing campaign went smoothly. The team was under pressure, and as the deadline loomed, she felt the weight of her charge like never before. While reviewing the campaign brief, Emily’s phone buzzed—her phone’s battery was at 5%. She reached for her charger, cursing under her breath. She had forgotten to charge her phone overnight, and now she had to rely on the low battery to get her through the day. Meanwhile, across town, the local football team was gearing up for an important match. As the players gathered in the locker room, the coach gathered them for a final pep talk. "This is our charge today," he said, referring to their aggressive approach on the field. "We’ll charge at them from the first whistle!" Later that afternoon, Emily’s phone finally died, and she had to leave the office to charge it. The situation wasn’t ideal—she’d forgotten the charger at home, and her only hope was a nearby café that offered charging stations. As she charged her phone, Emily thought about the multiple meanings of the word ‘charge’ that day. In her work, she had the charge of the project, managing its success. In football, the players had to charge forward with energy. And even in her own life, charging her phone was a necessity to stay connected. When Emily returned to the office, she took a deep breath. The project was on track, the campaign materials were finalized, and she had overcome yet another charge in her busy day. Emily smiled. It had been a day of charges, both literal and figurative, and she had handled them all.