ledger

noun

led·​ger ˈle-jər How to pronounce ledger (audio)
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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Cryptocurrency is traded on the blockchain, a permanent and public ledger of every transaction. Elle Reeve And Samantha Guff, CNN, 10 Feb. 2023 NFTs are transacted on the blockchain, a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across a network of computer systems. Dallas News, 29 Apr. 2022 However, the company has yet to explain in detail how any blockchain, the digital ledger at the core of Bitcoin and other digital cryptocurrencies, among other applications, is involved. NBC News, 5 Aug. 2021 That means some large unpaid obligations — including hundreds of thousands in ads for Geoff Diehl’s unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign — may not ultimately land on the party’s ledger. Matt Stout, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Feb. 2023 That hardly matters to the Tigers, who now have three quad-four losses on their ledger. Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2023 In other words, there is a unique record on Bitcoin’s ledger that says that the slight sliver of Bitcoin with, say, Benjamin Franklin’s image on it belongs to one owner and one owner only. Ben Weiss, Fortune Crypto, 17 Feb. 2023 State government’s huge, short-term reserves — both current and projected — are tiny when compared to the more than $88 billion in long-term unfunded obligations on Connecticut’s ledger. Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 28 Jan. 2023 The movement of the money was visible because cryptocurrency transactions are recorded on a public ledger that anyone can access and analyze. Matthew Goldstein, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2023 See More

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of ledger was in 1588

Dictionary Entries Near ledger

Cite this Entry

“Ledger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ledger. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

ledger

noun
led·​ger ˈlej-ər How to pronounce ledger (audio)
: a book in which accounts are kept in final form
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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