backlog

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noun back·log \ -ˌlȯg , -ˌläg \

Updated on: 26 Jul 2017

Definition of backlog

1 :a large log at the back of a hearth fire

2 :an accumulation of tasks unperformed or materials not processed

a backlog of court cases

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Examples of backlog in a Sentence

We have a huge backlog of orders to be filled.

Recent Examples of backlog from the Web

And the Food and Drug Administration has been clearing out a backlog of generic-drug approvals, meaning more competitors are now entering markets for certain drugs.

— charles ornstein and katie thomas, New York Times, "Generic Drug Prices Are Falling, but Are Consumers Benefiting?," 8 Aug. 2017
The Holcomb administration has hired its own outside law firm, McNeely Stephenson, to help process the large backlog of public record requests for Pence's emails.

— tony cook, The Courier-Journal, "After six months, Pence has now turned over all state-related AOL emails, his attorney says," 4 Aug. 2017
For Vance and other prosecutors, eliminating evasion cases can help alleviate court backlogs and free staff to work on more pressing matters.

— maura ewing, The Atlantic, "Will New York Stop Arresting People for Evading Subway Fares?," 4 Aug. 2017
For months Holcomb’s office has been grappling with a backlog of roughly 50 public records requests from activists, political groups and news organizations.

— Washington Post, "Pence hands over private emails from time as Indiana governor," 4 Aug. 2017
Now 44 kits remain in the hands of CPD because BCI asked that only 15 rape kits a week be delivered from the backlog.

— cameron knight, Cincinnati.com, "Coroner halts testing of Cincinnati rape kits: 'We need people and we need to get caught up'," 19 July 2017
That’s more than twice as much as the backlog the courts faced a decade ago.

— greg moran, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Population in local immigration jails swells, more judges assigned to handle cases," 15 July 2017
But with more than 20,000 people trapped in the clemency pipeline, and with a governor and Legislature unwilling to hire more people to review cases, the backlog will last forever.

— steve bousquet, miamiherald, "Thousands of Florida felons wait decades to regain the right to vote," 13 July 2017
Some buyers may be eligible for state or federal alternative energy incentives, however. ...and there's already a backlog of orders According to an update from Tesla in May 2016, about 373,000 people want to buy the Model 3.

— lucinda shen, Fortune, "Everything You Need to Know About Tesla’s Cheapest Car Ever," 3 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'backlog.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of backlog

1684

backlog

verb

Definition of backlog

:accumulate

First Known Use of backlog

1963

Financial Definition of BACKLOG

backlog

noun

What It Is

Frequently used in manufacturing industries, backlog refers to unfinished work or to customer orders that have been received but are either incomplete or in the process of completion.

How It Works

Let's assume XYZ Company is able to manufacture 10,000 widgets per day. On Monday morning, the company receives an order for 50,000 widgets. Given the company's daily production capacity, XYZ Company will end Monday with a backlog of 40,000 widgets. If each widget sells for $1, XYZ Company would report a $40,000 backlog.

Backlogs are usually measured in dollars and generally occur when there is a shortage of labor or supplies. Building products to each customer's specifications may also lead to backlogs.

Why It Matters

Changes in a company's backlog may have profit implications. A rising backlog may indicate that a company is experiencing either increased sales or production problems; a falling backlog may indicate the company's sales are falling or that it is increasing production efficiency.

It is important to study a company's revenue recognition policies when evaluating backlog. Some companies may use the percentage-of-completion method, whereby a percentage of the anticipated revenue from the sale of the product is recognized according to the percentage of work complete on a specific product. If a company is not able to reasonably measure the costs and revenues attributable to different stages of the production process, it may use completed-contract accounting, whereby the revenue is recorded when the project is complete.

Source: Investing Answers