chargeable

/ˈtʃɑːdʒəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtʃɑːrdʒəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈchär-jə-bəl/ (ame, mw)

chargeable — adjective

  • chargeablepositive
  • more chargeablecomparative
  • most chargeablesuperlative

1. describes a service, item, or activity for which you must pay money — often when

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a service, item, or activity for which you must pay money — often when the basic offering is free but extras are not

例句

Yuki was surprised to find that the hotel's airport shuttle was chargeable.

Dr. Rashid scanned the clinic's website and found that the blood test his son needed was chargeable.

predicative: [service] is chargeable

同義詞
  • payable

    payable is more common on formal invoices and bills; chargeable is broader and covers informal extras

  • billable

    billable is used mainly for professional hours (lawyers, consultants); chargeable covers items and services too

反義詞
  • free

    costing nothing

  • complimentary

    free of charge, typically provided as a courtesy by a business

文法句型

be chargeable

chargeable + noun

用法筆記

Typically predicative (placed after 'be'). Common in service contexts — hotels, clinics, and courses — where a basic package is free but some extras carry a cost.

常見錯誤

The hotel is chargeable.' (when you mean parking costs extra).
Parking at the hotel is chargeable.
💡'chargeable' applies to the extra service or item, not the business itself.

2. describes income, goods, or financial transactions on which you must pay tax to

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describes income, goods, or financial transactions on which you must pay tax to the government

例句

Kwame sat down with his accountant over coffee and learned that the money from his weekend graphic-design gigs was chargeable.

chargeable [income type]

Sofia was told that the cash gift from her grandmother was not chargeable.

同義詞
  • taxable

    taxable is more common in everyday use; chargeable is slightly more formal and appears more in official documents

  • dutiable

    dutiable applies specifically to customs duties on imported goods, not general income tax

反義詞
  • tax-exempt

    officially free from tax obligation

  • tax-free

    not subject to tax; more informal than tax-exempt

文法句型

be chargeable

chargeable + noun

chargeable at + rate

用法筆記

Common in financial and legal documents. Often used in the negative ('not chargeable') to confirm that something is tax-exempt.

常見錯誤

My whole salary is chargeable.' (imprecise).
The bonus portion of my salary is chargeable at the higher rate.
💡be specific about what part is taxed and at what rate.

3. describes an act or behaviour that can lead to a formal criminal accusation and

3.形容詞C1
釋義

describes an act or behaviour that can lead to a formal criminal accusation and court case under the law

例句

Chiamaka sat in the police station lobby and read that vandalism of public property is a chargeable offence.

chargeable offence — legal collocation

The officer showed Mei-Ling the screen and said sharing her ex-employer's client list was chargeable under the cybercrime law.

chargeable under [specific law]

同義詞
  • indictable

    indictable is used for serious crimes that go before a grand jury; chargeable is broader and includes lesser offences

  • prosecutable

    prosecutable stresses that the case can realistically go to court; chargeable focuses on the legal grounds for bringing a charge

文法句型

chargeable offence

be chargeable under + law

用法筆記

Used almost exclusively in legal contexts. Distinguish from sense 1 ('needing payment') — this sense is about criminal liability. Frequently followed by 'under' + the name of a specific statute.

常見錯誤

He is chargeable for the damage.' (wrong preposition).
His actions are chargeable under the Criminal Code.
💡use 'under' + the specific law, not 'for'.

4. describes a battery or device whose electrical power can be topped up again afte

4.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a battery or device whose electrical power can be topped up again after it has been used

例句

Tariq checked that the camping lantern was chargeable before the trip next weekend.

checked that [device] was chargeable

Amara tried to use her late aunt's old radio, but the batteries were no longer chargeable.

同義詞
  • rechargeable

    rechargeable is the standard everyday term; chargeable is rarer and can sound outdated or technical

反義詞

文法句型

chargeable battery

be chargeable

用法筆記

Used for batteries and battery-powered devices. 'Rechargeable' is the much more common everyday term; 'chargeable' in this sense appears more in technical manuals and is somewhat dated in general use.

常見錯誤

I bought a chargeable phone.' (when meaning the phone has a rechargeable battery).
I bought a phone with a chargeable battery.
💡'chargeable' describes the battery, not the whole device, unless the device itself plugs in to recharge.