charge-off

American  

[chahrj-awf, -of] / ˈtʃɑrdʒˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Or chargeoff

noun

1. a write-off, especially of a bad loan by a bank.

---

charge off Idioms  

1. Hurriedly depart, run away, as in After a few minutes, she charged off to the next exhibit . This term alludes to the military meaning of charge , “attack impetuously.” [Early 1500s]

2. Also, charge against . Consider or count as an accounting loss or expense, as in I'm charging off this purchase to overhead , or Let's charge the new computer against office supplies . [Late 1800s] Also see write off .

3. Attribute to, blame something for, as in We can charge off these errors to inexperience .

---

Etymology

Origin of charge-off

charge + (write)-off ( def. )

Example Sentences

To put the charge-off figures in perspective, the bank’s loan-loss reserves covered 1.09% of total loans and leases as of March 31.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Zions’s announcement about its charge-off last week sent regional bank shares down, as investors are more concerned about potential losses following the bankruptcies of auto supplier First Brands and lender Tricolor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025

The upgrade came after Zions took a $50 million charge-off in its third quarter due to legal actions against parties affiliated with two of its borrowers.

From Barron's • Oct. 17, 2025

To be sure, that third-quarter total was well above the year-ago net charge-off ratio of 0.48%.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 17, 2025

The charge-off ratio, another key measure of credit quality, rose to 1.09% from 0.48% a year earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025