trial balance

noun

: a list of the debit and credit balances of accounts in a double-entry ledger at a given date prepared primarily to test their equality

Examples of trial balance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
There was no bank record or trial balance that could be used to verify that Sloan’s total assets exceeded the $5,000 net capital requirement for broker-dealers at the time. J.c. Hallman, The New Republic, 11 June 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trial balance was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near trial balance

Cite this Entry

“Trial balance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trial%20balance. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!