public charge

American  

noun

1. a person who is in economic distress and is supported at government expense.

   He assured the American consul that the prospective immigrant would not become a public charge.

---

Etymology

Origin of public charge

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public charge

As Dominguez made her rounds on Main Street, she repeatedly reassured people: “It’s not a public charge for the government.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 24, 2023

Only a portion of the people seeking to enter the country or change their status face a public charge determination.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2023

You might have seen warnings that there are more than 30 electric car owners "fighting over" every public charge point.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2023

Those who violate the public charge standard can be denied the chance to become citizens.

From Washington Times ● May 17, 2023

Amidst general lamentations “the Father of his Country,” as he was called, was buried with great state in the Nieuwe Kerk at Delft at the public charge.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 5 "Hinduism" to "Home, Earls of" by Various