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

Trade deficits are measured in dollars, not the quantity of goods, so excluding highly valuable electronics would keep those imports flowing, keeping the negative side of the trade-balance ledger higher. —The Editors, National Review, 15 Apr. 2025

Imagine every decision an AI agent makes being recorded on an immutable ledger—not just the decision but the entire path that led to it—the training data, the model updates, the decision branches—all preserved and auditable. —Wesley Crook, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025

The new champ adds to the band’s No. 1 ledger on Regional Mexican Airplay, now with seven champs. —Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2025

Or, in the team’s own words: The internet of imagination needs a ledger. —Gary Weinstein, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025

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