What does encharge mean?
'Encharge' is an archaic English verb meaning to impose a duty, task, or trust upon someone — to formally commit a matter into another person's care. Used chiefly in older literature, legal documents, and religious writing, it follows the pattern 'to encharge someone with something': a monarch might encharge a minister with governing a province, or an abbot might encharge a monk with the keeping of the library's books. The word carries a tone of gravity and solemn obligation, reflecting the seriousness with which such responsibilities were once conferred. It derives from Old French 'enchargier', formed from the Latin root behind 'charge' — the same lineage that gives us 'carry', 'cargo', and 'chariot'. Though it has largely fallen out of use, supplanted by 'entrust' and 'put in charge of', it remains a vivid reminder of how English once framed the handing-over of duty, and it lingers recognizably in the familiar modern phrase 'in charge'.
verbTo encharge is to impose a duty, responsibility, or trust upon someone; to commit something into another's care. It is an archaic or formal word now largely replaced by 'entrust' or 'put in charge of'.
- To impose a duty, responsibility, or trust upon someone; to commit a task or charge into another's care.
"The dying king did encharge his most trusted advisor with the guardianship of the young heir."
"The abbot encharged the novice with the care of the abbey's manuscripts."
"She was encharged by the committee to deliver the final report."
Before anyone was ever 'in charge', English speakers had to be 'encharged' — a verb so old it has quietly slipped out of everyday use.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of encharge
'Encharge' comes from Old French 'enchargier', composed of the prefix 'en-' plus 'chargier' ('to load'), which itself descends from Late Latin 'carricare' ('to load onto a cart'), from 'carrus' ('cart'). The same root produced 'charge' and its many relatives, including 'carry', 'cargo', and 'chariot'. The verb entered Middle English in medieval times and remained in respectable use for centuries before fading into archaism as 'entrust' took over its role.
How encharge is actually used
'Encharge' is archaic and survives mainly in historical texts, legal phrasing of earlier centuries, and literary pastiche. In contemporary writing it would strike readers as deliberately old-fashioned; modern equivalents are 'entrust' and 'put in charge of'. It typically takes the pattern 'encharge someone with something'.
Easily confused with encharge
'In charge' is the modern adjectival phrase meaning having authority or control over something, while 'encharge' is the archaic verb meaning to place that responsibility upon someone.