# charge with

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/charge-with
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to officially accuse someone of a crime or to give someone a specific task to do.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They charged him of the crime." but "They charged him with the crime." — the verb 'charge' collocations with 'with', whereas 'accuse' collocations with 'of'.

## Usage notes

- 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').

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.