public charge

American

noun

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

public charge

Prices can vary a lot when using public charge points, depending on factors including the speed of the charger and the time of day.

From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025

In 2021, her group surveyed 1,000 Americans in mixed-status immigrant families to better understand what they knew about the public charge update.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 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

We would only make ourselves absurd, Dan, by any public charge.

From The Lady Doc by Caroline Lockhart

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023