Phrasal verb
charge with
Definition
phrasal verb. to officially accuse someone of a crime or to give someone a specific task to do.
phrasal verb. to formally accuse a person of a criminal offence; alternatively, to entrust someone with a specific duty or responsibility.
Examples
“The police charge him with theft.”
“After a long investigation, the state decided to charge the suspect with fraud and money laundering.”
“The committee was charged with investigating the environmental impact of the new highway before any construction could begin.”
Examples
simple
“The police charge him with theft.”
contextual
“After a long investigation, the state decided to charge the suspect with fraud and money laundering.”
complex
“The committee was charged with investigating the environmental impact of the new highway before any construction could begin.”
Usage
the object (the person) comes between the verb and the preposition.
Teaching tip
highlight the dual usage in legal and professional contexts; in legal contexts, it is almost always passive ('was charged with').
Pitfall
They charged him of the crime.
They charged him with the crime.
the verb 'charge' collocations with 'with', whereas 'accuse' collocations with 'of'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
with
Separability
separable
Pattern
charge + object + with + noun/gerund
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/charge-with