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

Examples of ledger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Jung Hoo Lee led off, playing center field, and added two more hits to his impressive spring ledger, raising his batting average to .414. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024 The big question is whether the Bow plant will be added to the renewable or fossil fuel side of the ledger. Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2024 Bitcoin deploys game theory and social science to secure the public ledger, and this is an intellectual breakthrough unto itself. Korok Ray, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Schweitzer said some of the museum's history collection items had digital records, but tens of thousands of items were kept track of in huge leather ledgers. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024 Still, there are other Moustakas-like cautionary tales on the Boras ledger. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 The second, more novel layer of security is across transactions, on the public ledger. Korok Ray, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Other people keep track of their progress in stories or posts on social media, on a physical ledger or through their personal trainer. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024 The more serious offenses on his ledger, however, are not the stuff of Caribbean seas and Zegna suits. Francis Wilkinson, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ledger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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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