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

And, in many of those cases, my sense is that that's going to come out on the rental side of the ledger rather than owning, given our current affordability crisis. —Tonya Mosley, NPR, 11 Dec. 2024

With respect to crypto assets, the invention of Bitcoin and the blockchain—a secure and decentralized digital ledger—and the rise of social media, satisfied the first two requirements, but Wall Street and policymakers remained suspicious of the sector. —John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

In theaters now showtimes Black Doves Thrillers on Netflix can be hit or miss, but this series easily falls on the pro side of the ledger. —Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024

Bitcoin is created as crypto miners use their computing work to validate bitcoin transactions on its decentralized blockchain network, essentially a digital ledger meant to prevent fraud. —Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2024

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

Kids Definition

ledger

noun

led·​ger ˈlej-ər 

: a book in which accounts are kept in final form