be charged against

USAGE SUMMARY

"be charged against" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
This phrase is usually used to express the idea that someone has incurred a monetary penalty or fee, and this amount of money will be taken out of their account. Example: The library fee will be charged against his student account.

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

46 human-written examples

Submitted requests will be charged against the STAP funds based on the class start date.

Stanford University

Charges made to the fund afterward will be charged against the student group account.

Columbia University

Perhaps it would be better to state, "or the crimes to be charged against that individual".

Yale University

Mr. Silas said the write down will be charged against fourth-quarter 1989 earnings, which will be released next Thursday.

The New York Times

The reasoning was that Arizona's uses would not be charged against the Lower Basin's apportionment and that California would therefore be free to exhaust that apportionment herself.

Cornell University

Allowances granted by the court, including interim allowances, shall be charged against the general estate of the debtor as a cost and expense of administration.

Cornell University

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

14 human-written examples

The amount of money wagered is charged against the card.

The New York Times - Tech

Otherwise, their time is charged against the budget of their function manager.

Harvard Business Review

Time out for illness before state-mandated disability begins is charged against accrued comprehensive leave time.

The New York Times

(For example, all the expenses incurred in developing a band are charged against its future income).

The New York Times

You'd think these are operating expenses that are charged against earnings, right?

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "be charged against" in financial contexts, ensure clarity about what is being charged (e.g., fees, costs) and what it's being charged to (e.g., an account, a budget).

Common error

Avoid using "be charged against" when an active voice construction is more appropriate. For example, instead of "The cost will be charged against the budget", consider "We will charge the cost to the budget" for a more direct and concise statement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be charged against" functions as a passive construction indicating that a cost, expense, or fee will be debited or applied to a specific account, budget, or entity. As supported by Ludwig, the usage is generally deemed grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Academia

33%

Formal & Business

29%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "be charged against" is a common and grammatically sound phrase used to indicate that a cost or expense will be deducted from a specified account or resource. As shown by Ludwig, it appears most frequently in news and media, academic, and formal business contexts. While generally appropriate, be mindful of the active voice alternatives for more direct communication. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is correctly used to denote incurring a monetary penalty or fee that is then deducted from an account. Its versatility and consistent usage across authoritative sources, such as The New York Times and Cornell University, solidify its place in professional and academic writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be debited from

Focuses specifically on the financial aspect of deducting an amount from an account.

be deducted from

Similar to 'be debited from', but can also apply to non-financial contexts like points or scores.

be attributed to

Focuses on assigning responsibility or a characteristic to something.

be allocated to

Implies a formal assignment of resources or funds to a specific purpose or account.

be assigned to

Broader in scope, covering assignment of tasks, responsibilities, or blame.

be imputed to

Implies assigning something, often blame or fault, in a more formal or legal context.

be assessed to

Suggests an evaluation and subsequent assignment of a cost or value.

be levied on

Specifically refers to the imposition of a tax or fee.

be placed against

A more general term indicating something is set in opposition or comparison to something else.

be pinned on

Implies the assigning of blame, often in a negative or accusatory context.

FAQs

How can I use "be charged against" in a sentence?

Use "be charged against" to indicate that a cost or expense will be deducted from a specific account or resource. For example, "The repair costs will "be charged against" the maintenance budget".

What's a less formal way to say "be charged against"?

In less formal contexts, you could use phrases like "be taken from" or "be deducted from" to convey a similar meaning. However, "be charged against" is generally appropriate for professional and academic settings.

Is it better to use active or passive voice with "be charged against"?

While "be charged against" is in the passive voice, it's often suitable when the focus is on the cost and the account being affected, rather than the actor performing the charge. However, using the active voice can create more direct sentences, such as, "We will charge the cost to the account."

What's the difference between "be charged against" and "be attributed to"?

"Be charged against" usually refers to a financial transaction, where a cost is applied to an account. "Be attributed to", on the other hand, means assigning a quality, cause, or origin to something, which isn't necessarily financial.