In a criminal case, the Defendant gets charged with committing a crime. The charge is the law the defendant is accused of breaking.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
charge (noun)1.
a) obsolete a material load or weight
b) a figure borne on a heraldic field
2.
a) the quantity that an apparatus is intended to receive and fitted to hold
b) the quantity of explosive used in a single discharge
c) a store or accumulation of impelling force - the deeply emotional charge of the drama
d) a definite quantity of electricity , especially an excess or deficiency of electrons in a body
e) - thrill kick got a charge out of the game
3.
a) - obligation requirement
b) - management supervision has charge of the home office
c) the ecclesiastical jurisdiction (as a parish) committed to a clergyman
d) a person or thing committed to the care of another
4.
a) - instruction command
b) instruction in points of law given by a court to a jury
5.
a) - expense cost gave the banquet at his own charge
b) the price demanded for something - no admission charge
c) a debit to an account - the purchase was a 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
6.
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
7.
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 (as basketball)
transitive verb
1.
a) archaic to lay or put a load on or in - load
b) (1) to place a charge (as of powder) in
(2) to load or fill to capacity
c) (1) 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
(2) to give an electric charge to - charge a capacitor
d) (1) to assume as a heraldic bearing
(2) to place a heraldic bearing on
e) to fill or furnish fully - the music is charged with excitement
f) - electrify the crowd was charged by her performance
2.
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 to (a jury)
3.
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 he distorted the data
4.
a) to bring (a weapon) into position for attack - level charge a lance
b) to rush against - attack , also to rush into (an opponent) usually illegally in various sports
5.
a) (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
b) (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
intransitive verb
c) to record (an item) as an expense, debt, obligation, or liability - charged a new sofa
1.
to rush forward in or as if in assault - attack , 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 command
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
charge (noun)1.
a formal claim of criminal wrongdoing against a person
SYNONYMS:
complaint, count, indictment, rapRELATED WORDS:
accusation, allegation, plea; crimination; counteraccusation, countercharge; arraignment, impeachment; implication, imputation, innuendo, insinuation; censure, condemnation, denunciation; incrimination, recrimination2.
a specific task with which a person or group is charged
SYNONYMS:
assignment, brief, business, charge, detail, job, operation, postRELATED WORDS:
burden, chore, duty, need, obligation, office, requirement, responsibility; errand, labor, work; commitment, pledge, promise; appointment, commission, designation, nomination; compulsion, constraint, restraint3.
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned
SYNONYMS:
behest, charge, commandment, decree, dictate, direction, directive, do, edict, imperative, injunction, instruction, order, wordRELATED WORDS:
demand, requirement; mandate; countermand, counterorder; law, precept, prescript, prescription, rule; ordinance, regulation, statuteNEAR ANTONYMS:
appeal, entreaty, petition, plea, urging; proposal, recommendation, suggestion4.
something one must do because of prior agreement
SYNONYMS:
burden, charge, commitment, devoir, do, duty, imperative, incumbency, need, office, responsibilityRELATED WORDS:
oath, pledge, promise, troth, vow, word; arrangement, prearrangement, setup; compact, contract, covenant, pact, trust; debt, payment, tribute; compulsion, constraint, restraint; must, requirement; coercion, duress, force; appointment, engagement, reservation; burden, onusNEAR ANTONYMS:
grace, postponement, stay; discharge, ease, exemption, release, relief, waiver; loophole; alternative, choice, option, pick, preference, selection5.
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
SYNONYMS:
aggression, assault, attempt, blitz, blitzkrieg, charge, coup de main, descent, offense ( offence), offensive, onset, onslaught, raid, rush, strikeRELATED WORDS:
ambuscade, ambush; counteraggression, counterassault, counterattack, counteroffensive, counterstrike; sally, sortie; envelopment, flanking; breakthrough, foray, incursion, invasion; pillage, ravage, sack; air raid, bombardment, bombing; siege, storm; barrage, cannonade, fusillade, hail, salvo, volley; whammyNEAR ANTONYMS:
defense, defensive, guard, shield; opposition, resistance; protection, security, shelter6.
the amount of money that is demanded as payment for something
SYNONYMS:
ante, charge, cost, damage, fee, figure, freight, price tagRELATED WORDS:
fair market value, market value, valuation, value; asking price, list price, sticker price; price point, rate, tariff, unit price; carrying charge, overcharge, service charge ( service fee), surcharge; deduction, discount, markdown, reduction, sale; deposit; down payment; account, bill, check, invoice, tab7.
the duty or function of watching or guarding for the sake of proper direction or control
SYNONYMS:
care, charge, guidance, headship, oversight, regulation, stewardship, superintendence, superintendency, surveillanceRELATED WORDS:
monitoring, observance, observation, observing, policing; administration, control, direction, generalship, hand(s), management, running; leadership, piloting, shepherding, steering; government, reign, rule; aegis ( egis), auspices, guardianship, protection, trusteeship, tutelage8.
a payment made in the course of achieving a result
SYNONYMS:
charge, cost, disbursement, expenditure, outgo, outlayRELATED WORDS:
overhead; outflow; pocket money, spending money; price, rate, tab, tariff, toll9.
a pleasurably intense stimulation of the feelings
SYNONYMS:
bang, boot, charge, exhilaration, frisson, jollies, kick, rush, titillation, wallopRELATED WORDS:
arousal, buzz, electrification, high, intoxication; jolt, shock, surprise ( surprize); delectation, delight, enjoyment, joy, lift, pleasure; amusement, diversion, entertainment, fun, treat10.
the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something
SYNONYMS:
administration, care, charge, control, direction, governance, government, guidance, handling, intendance, management, operation, oversight, presidency, regulation, running, stewardship, superintendence, superintendency, supervisionRELATED WORDS:
generalship, leadership, rulership; agency; aegis ( egis), custody, guardianship, keeping, lap, protection, safekeeping, trust, tutelage, ward; engineering, logistics, machination, manipulation; coadministration, codirection, comanagement1.
to set or receive as a price
SYNONYMS:
ask, command, demandRELATED WORDS:
overcharge, undercharge; bring, fetch, sell (for); discount, mark down, mark up; assess, bill, invoice; price, value2.
to establish or apply as a charge or penalty
SYNONYMS:
assess, charge, exact, fine, lay, levy, putRELATED WORDS:
dock, excise, mulct, penalize, tax; extort, shake down, wrest, wring; bleed, fleece, gouge, milk, skin, squeeze; coerce, compel, force; inflict, wreak; set; reapply, reimpose, relayNEAR ANTONYMS:
abate, diminish, lessen; forgive, release; condone, disregard, excuse, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, pardon3.
to give a task, duty, or responsibility to
SYNONYMS:
assign, charge, commission, task, trustRELATED WORDS:
confer, impose; commit, confide, consign, delegate, recommend, relegate, repose; allocate, allot; authorize, empower, invest4.
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority
SYNONYMS:
adjure, bid, boss (around), charge, direct, enjoin, instruct, order, tellRELATED WORDS:
ask, petition, request; beg, beseech, entreat; advise, counsel, warn; appoint, assign, authorize, commission; oversee, superintend, supervise; conduct, control, lead, manage; coerce, compel, constrain, force, oblige, requireNEAR ANTONYMS:
comply (with), follow, keep, observe5.
to make a claim of wrongdoing against
SYNONYMS:
charge, criminate, defame, impeach, incriminate, indictRELATED WORDS:
blame, call (on), castigate, censure, condemn, criticize, damn, denounce, fault, impugn, reproach, reprobate; chide, rebuke, reprove, tax; appeal, arraign, book, cite, summon; prosecute, sue, try; frame, implicate, inculpate, inform (against), name, report; recriminate, retaliateNEAR ANTONYMS:
advocate, champion, defend; excuse, forgive, justify, pardon, remit, shrive6.
to put into (something) as much as can be held or contained
SYNONYMS:
brim, charge, cram, heap, jam, jam-pack, load, pack, stuffRELATED WORDS:
drench, flood, glut, swamp; bloat, bulk; crowd, crush, mat, press, ram, shove, squash, squeeze; refill, refresh, reload, repack, replenish; overcharge, overfill, overflow, saturate; honeycomb, penetrateNEAR ANTONYMS:
lighten; deplete, drain, eliminate, exhaust; bleed, draw (off); clean, flush, purge, scour, sweep7.
to take sudden, violent action against
SYNONYMS:
assail, assault, beset, bushwhack, charge, descend (on upon), go in (on), jump (on), pounce (on upon), raid, rush, set on, sic ( sick), storm, strike, trash, turn (on)RELATED WORDS:
bum-rush, gang up (on), mob, swarm; mug, rob; ambuscade, ambush, surprise ( surprize), waylay; blitz, bomb, bombard, nuke; barrage, cannon, cannonade; bang away (at), batter, buffet, plaster; beleaguer, besiege, press; harry, loot, pillage, plunder, ravage, sack; foray, invade, overrun; envelop, flankNEAR ANTONYMS:
cover, defend, guard, protect, secure, shield8.
to cause a pleasurable stimulation of the feelings of
SYNONYMS:
charge, electrify, excite, exhilarate, galvanize, intoxicate, pump up, titillate, turn onRELATED WORDS:
arouse, incite, inspire, provoke, stimulate; bewitch, captivate, charm, delight, enchant, enthrall ( enthral), hypnotize, mesmerize, rivet, spellbind; interest, intrigue, tantalizeNEAR ANTONYMS:
bore, jade, pall, tire, weary; deject, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit