Press Charges

B2 16+

Pronunciation: /prɛs ˈtʃɑrdʒɪz/

Definitions of press charges

noun a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

Example Sentences

A1 The police can press charges against the suspect.

A2 If the victim decides to press charges, the case will go to court.

B1 The decision to press charges should be carefully considered before taking action.

B2 The prosecutor will review the evidence before deciding whether to press charges.

C1 The attorney advised her client not to press charges without sufficient evidence.

C2 Pressing charges in a high-profile case can attract media attention and public scrutiny.

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

Example Sentences

A1 The police can press charges against the suspect.

A2 If you are a victim of a crime, you have the right to press charges.

B1 The prosecutor decided to press charges based on the evidence.

B2 The company chose not to press charges against the employee for theft.

C1 The decision to press charges can have serious legal consequences.

C2 The victim's family decided to press charges despite the public scrutiny.

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

Example Sentences

A1 If someone steals from you, you can press charges against them.

A2 The victim decided not to press charges after the thief apologized.

B1 The police advised the shop owner to press charges against the vandals.

B2 The company decided to press charges against the employee who leaked confidential information.

C1 The prosecutor will need strong evidence to press charges against the suspect.

C2 The celebrity's lawyer warned the paparazzi that they would press charges if they continued to harass their client.

Examples of press charges in a Sentence

formal The victim has decided to press charges against the perpetrator for theft.

informal If someone steals from you, you should definitely press charges.

slang I heard she's planning to press charges against her ex-boyfriend for cheating on her.

figurative The company will press charges against any employee found leaking confidential information.

Grammatical Forms of press charges

past tense

pressed

plural

press charges

comparative

more pressing charges

superlative

most pressing charges

present tense

press charges

future tense

will press charges

perfect tense

have pressed charges

continuous tense

is pressing charges

singular

press charge

positive degree

press charges

infinitive

to press charges

gerund

pressing charges

participle

pressing charges

Origin and Evolution of press charges

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The term 'press charges' originated from the legal practice of formally accusing someone of a crime by pressing or laying charges against them.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the term 'press charges' has maintained its original legal meaning of formally accusing someone of a crime, but it has also evolved to be used more colloquially in everyday language to mean taking action against someone for wrongdoing.