balance sheet

American  

noun

Accounting.

1. a tabular statement of both sides of a set of accounts in which the debit and credit balances add up as equal.

2. a statement of the financial position of a business on a specified date.

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balance sheet British  

noun

1. a statement that shows the financial position of a business enterprise at a specified date by listing the asset balances and the claims on such assets

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balance sheet Cultural  

1. An orderly account of the assets of a company or individual and of the financial claims on those assets by others.

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Etymology

Origin of balance sheet

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Its strong balance sheet can finance these growth opportunities, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Keep in mind that Warsh has been a vocal critic of how the Fed expanded its balance sheet.

From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026

Still, the budget carrier is much better protected against financial risks than peers, boasts an industry-leading balance sheet, and maintains a powerful cost advantage rivals can’t match, Castle says.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Combined with a stronger balance sheet, the protections limit the downside for the company and its shareholders.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

There was no real reason that company had to be AIG; it could have been any triple-A-rated entity with a huge balance sheet.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis