briefly charged

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "briefly charged" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where something is charged for a short period of time, often in a metaphorical sense, such as emotions or discussions. Example: "The atmosphere in the room was briefly charged with tension before the debate began."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Also being considered was the fact that, in June, 2015, Tunsil had been briefly charged with domestic assault, following a physical altercation with his stepfather.

The New Yorker

Indian authorities said they were preparing for protests in Tamil Nadu, and the police briefly charged supporters of Mr. Karunanidhi's D.M.K. party outside the prison where he was held.

The New York Times

At one point last week, the police had briefly charged him with criminal trespass because he had been found in Ms. Drakeford's apartment, a charge that could have resulted in his parole being revoked.

The New York Times

The orchestra chose the popular holiday piece to introduce its first admission fee — $12, or $7 for seniors and students — since the budget crisis of the 1970s, when it briefly charged $1, alienating much of its audience.

The New York Times

Yanukovich is under intense E.U. pressure to release Tymoshenko, who has been in jail since 2011 on corruption charges relating to a deal reached with Gazprom when she was prime minister (she was also briefly charged with murder earlier this year).

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The Yankees came back from an 11-0 deficit against Pedro Martinez, briefly charging the crowd of 55,711, minimizing the ugliness of their second straight loss.

The New York Times - Sports

Butler, a former rapper and cellphone call-center manager, has emerged as a polarizing figure in the recruiting community by acting as a third party for numerous high school football prospects and briefly charging for updates on their recruiting on his Web site, PotentialPlayers.com.

The New York Times - Sports

Briefly, CHARGE subjects were between 24 and 60 months of age at the time of recruitment, which occurred during 2003 2009; lived with at least one English- or Spanish-speaking biological parent; were born in California; and resided in one of the study catchment areas at the time of enrollment.

Environmental Health Perspectives

John C. Wooley, the chief executive of Schlotzsky's, said he briefly considered charging customers for Wi-Fi access but quickly changed his mind.

The New York Times - Tech

She paused briefly to charge her phone in the one electrical socket near the imam's spot, so she could call her mother and let her know she was safe.

Los Angeles Times

In the autumn of 1945 Gainza Paz and the editors of five other newspapers were briefly arrested and charged with conspiring to overthrow the government.

Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "briefly charged", ensure the context clearly indicates that the charge was not only short in duration but also potentially dismissed or altered.

Common error

Avoid using "briefly charged" to downplay serious accusations. Even a brief charge can have lasting consequences and should be treated with appropriate seriousness in your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "briefly charged" functions as an adverbial modifier combined with a passive verb construction. It specifies the duration of the action (being charged) and implies an action performed upon a subject. The Ludwig examples highlight its use in describing legal situations.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Encyclopedias

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "briefly charged" serves to indicate that an accusation occurred for a limited time. Grammatically correct and primarily used in news and media contexts, it describes situations where charges might have been temporary or dismissed. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness. When writing, be mindful of the potential to downplay serious situations by using this phrase, and consider alternatives like "momentarily accused" or "temporarily indicted" depending on the desired nuance. Authoritative sources like The New York Times and The Guardian commonly employ the phrase, however, its overall usage remains rare.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

briefly accused

Similar to "briefly charged" but specifically uses "accused".

quickly charged

Emphasizes the speed of the charging action.

momentarily accused

Focuses on the accusation being temporary or short-lived.

temporarily indicted

Highlights the temporary nature of the formal accusation.

soon accused

Focuses on quickness of accusation.

shortly prosecuted

Emphasizes the brevity of the legal proceedings.

promptly indicted

Accusation followed by indictment in short time.

fleetingly accused

Stresses how quickly the accusation occurred.

temporarily laden

Shifts the meaning to being briefly burdened.

momentarily filled

Changes context to something being briefly filled or imbued.

FAQs

What does "briefly charged" mean?

The term "briefly charged" indicates that someone was formally accused of something for a short duration, suggesting the charges may have been dropped or altered.

How can I use "briefly charged" in a sentence?

Example: "The suspect was briefly charged with the crime, but the charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence."

What are some alternatives to "briefly charged"?

Consider using alternatives like "momentarily accused", "temporarily indicted", or "quickly charged" depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it appropriate to use "briefly charged" when describing serious crimes?

While grammatically correct, be mindful of the context. Using "briefly charged" for serious crimes might downplay the severity. Ensure the surrounding text provides sufficient context and acknowledges potential consequences.