ledger

noun

led·​ger ˈle-jər 

plural ledgers

1

a

: a book containing accounts to which debits and credits are posted from books of original entry

Psmith, perched gracefully on a stool, entered figures in a ledger.

—P. G. Wodehouse

b

: a digital record that is used similarly to an accounting ledger (as for maintaining a list of transactions)

Williams said he also recovered a ledger spreadsheet on a laptop computer seized from Wright and a "key" to translate the ledger.

—Scott Dolan

specifically : blockchain

NFTs use blockchain, the technology ledger backing cryptocurrencies …, which are databases of linked information to record ownership or transactions of a product.

—Weston Blasi

The original idea behind Provenance was to provide transparency, proof of loan performance, provenance—reliable information about who owned or owns an asset at any given time—lower costs and easier audits for loan buyers and sellers through distributed ledger technology.

—Penny Crosman

2

: a horizontal board used for vertical support (as in scaffolding)

I'd rather see joists resting on a ledger, spiked to the girders or to the house through spacers.

—Jim Locke

Examples of ledger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The second issue is data privacy as a fully transparent ledger sounds great in a conference pitch, but the realities of intellectual property, commercial relationships, and pricing practices require a certain level of privacy. —Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Today, the car shows 33,010 kilometers (approximately 20,511 miles) on the odometer, and is being offered with a copy of the handwritten build ledger, the original owner’s manual, the tool kit, and a file of restoration invoices and photos. —Howard Walker, Robb Report, 10 June 2026

The barrel consistency stands out, with multiple 110+ MPH exit velocities on his ledger. —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026

Meta’s $27 billion Louisiana data center campus, Alphabet’s chip joint venture with Blackstone, and a growing web of off-ledger arrangements that have kept the spending out of sight. —Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lygger, leger large breviary, beam, probably from leyen, leggen to lay

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing ledger

• ledger line

Rhymes for ledger

• dredger
• edger
• hedger

Kids Definition

ledger

noun

led·​ger ˈlej-ər 

: a book in which accounts are kept in final form