ledger

noun

led·ger | \ ˈle-jər

plural ledgers

Definition of ledger

1a : 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 When someone buys an NFT, that transaction is recorded on an online ledger called a blockchain that anyone can view. — Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2021 Records stored on Ethereum's blockchain, a digital ledger of all transactions involving the cryptocurrency, appear to support the collector's version of events. — Oscar Holland, CNN, 2 Sep. 2021 And transactions settle automatically on a blockchain – essentially a digital ledger of transactions that is distributed across a network of computers – rather than through a bank or other middleman taking a cut. — Kevin Werbach, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2021 The blockchain's ledger of all Bitcoin transactions since the cryptocurrency's creation has often instead served as a means for law enforcement to trace even years-old transactions. — Andy Greenberg, Wired, 27 Apr. 2021 Inside Toledo’s bedroom was a spiral notebook with what appeared to be a handwritten ledger of narcotics transactions, the complaint alleged. — Jason Meisner, chicagotribune.com, 11 Mar. 2021 The problem has been on the other side of the ledger — the number of Americans who are working or looking for work, also known as the labor force. — Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2021 On the other side of the ledger, the Miami Dolphins lead the N.F.L. with $77 million in 2022 cap space; the Los Angeles Chargers are second with $73 million. — Mike Tanier, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2021 Every organization has information technology assets on one side of the ledger and liabilities on the other side. — Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021

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.