English edit

Etymology edit

charge +‎ -able

Adjective edit

chargeable (comparative more chargeable, superlative most chargeable)

  1. (of expenses etc.) That may be charged to an account.
    • 2006, Michael Thomas, David Goy, Stamp Duty Land Tax, page 172:
      In summary, the variation of a lease for consideration is generally chargeable to SDLT.
  2. (rare) Liable to be accused (either formally or informally).
    • 1865, Joel Prentiss Bishop, Commentaries on the Criminal Law, volume 2, page 380:
      Thus, if one confines another, even a prisoner, who has not had the small-pox, with an infected person, whereby the one confined takes the distemper and dies, he is chargeable with murder.
  3. (of an offense) That one may be legally charged with.
    • 1988 April 2, Jud Kempson, “Ann Arbor unionist cleared of charges”, in Gay Community News, page 12:
      Seferian states in the order that he agrees with Carter and the other charging parties that "the actions taken by Sister Levy have had and will continue to have the adverse effects on the union complained of by the charging parties." But Seferian found that Levy committed no chargeable offense since freedom of speech is guaranteed in AFSCME's International Constitution.
  4. Imputable
    • 1853 The Speeches of the Right Honourable Charles James Fox in the House of Common
      These cruelties are not, indeed, chargeable on Mr. Hastings personally; but when I state, that he levied an unjust war, the consequences that follow he is guilty of.
  5. (archaic) Expensive.
    • 1865, Joe Miller's Jests, with Copious Additions:
      A gentleman threatening to go to law, was dissuaded from it by his friends, who desired him to consider, for the law was chargeable.

Quotations edit

  • 1859, John Thomas Arlidge, On the state of lunacy and the legal provision for the insane:
    The law provides for the occasional visitation of pauper lunatics in asylums chargeable to parishes, by a certain number of the officers . . .