outstanding charges

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "outstanding charges" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used when referring to any financial obligations or liabilities that are yet to be paid. For example: "The customer had several outstanding charges, including an unpaid utilities bill and a credit card balance, before he finally cleared his debt."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

30 human-written examples

The Advertiser will remain responsible for all outstanding charges.

The Guardian

The outstanding charges all relate to the 11-year-old.

The Guardian - Music

Russia has no extradition treaty with the United States and no outstanding charges against him.

The New York Times

Given the outstanding charges it was not appropriate to comment further, the CDPP said.

The Guardian

The housing agency would give an owner four months to correct the violations and pay all outstanding charges.

The New York Times

"Only by ensuring that Musharraf faces the well-documented outstanding charges against him can Pakistan put an end to the military's impunity for abuses".

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

(He has a homemade pistol and an outstanding charge of attempted murder — he says he beat up a man who slapped his nephew in the street).

The New Yorker

The outstanding charge storage capabilities are due to the suitable and larger specific surface area, high proportion of micropores and proper pore size.

Surface and Coatings Technology

The symmetric two electrode system exhibits outstanding charge storage capacity, reaching a high specific capacitance of 512 F g−1 in KOH electrolyte at 0.5 A g−1 which is nearly four times higher than that of cAC electrode with PVDF binders.

Carbon

The unpredicted-high photocatalytic performance is attributed to the close contact between the unique two-dimensional graphene structures coupled with TiO2 mesoporous architectures resulting in outstanding charge separation efficient and the Ti3+ self-doping extending the utilization ratio of visible light.

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

Licata determined she'd covered the fees associated with those offenses, but said she had a separate outstanding charge of driving without a license.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing financial matters, clarify the type of "outstanding charges" (e.g., legal fees, utility bills) for clarity and to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "outstanding charges" when you mean to praise someone's achievements. Use "outstanding achievements", "remarkable performance", or similar phrases instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "outstanding charges" primarily functions as a noun phrase, where "outstanding" modifies the noun "charges". It identifies specific debts or fees that have not yet been settled. As Ludwig AI states, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "outstanding charges" is a common and grammatically sound way to refer to unpaid debts or fees. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is suitable for use in written English across various contexts. The phrase functions as a noun phrase and serves to communicate the existence of a financial obligation. While it maintains a neutral register, its usage is most frequent in news and media, and formal business contexts. When using the phrase, consider specifying the type of charges for clarity and avoid confusing it with expressions of achievement. When looking for alternative phrases you may use "unpaid dues" or "outstanding debts".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

outstanding debts

Refers to a broader category of financial obligations that are yet to be settled.

unsettled accounts

Highlights the unresolved status of financial transactions.

overdue payments

Stresses the lateness of the payments.

unpaid dues

Focuses specifically on membership or subscription fees that remain unpaid.

pending fees

Emphasizes that the charges are still awaiting payment.

arrears

Implies a state of being behind in payments.

remaining balance

Highlights the amount still owed on an account.

unpaid invoices

Specifically refers to bills for goods or services that have not been paid.

uncleared balance

Highlights the fact that a monetary balance is uncleared.

unresolved claims

Suggests that there are charges that have not been settled or agreed upon.

FAQs

How to use "outstanding charges" in a sentence?

You can use "outstanding charges" to refer to unpaid debts or fees, as in "The company sent a reminder about the "outstanding charges" on the account".

What's the difference between "outstanding charges" and "pending charges"?

"Outstanding charges" refer to charges that are past due and have not been paid, while "pending charges" refer to charges that are awaiting processing or payment but are not necessarily overdue.

What can I say instead of "outstanding charges"?

Alternatives include "unpaid dues", "outstanding debts", or "arrears" depending on the context.

Are "outstanding charges" the same as "unpaid balance"?

While similar, "outstanding charges" typically refers to specific fees or debts that make up an "uncleared balance". The "unpaid balance" is the total amount still owed.