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

Balance sheet repositioning, which included selling some assets and reclassifying loans, resulted in non-operating charges of $110 million.

From Reuters • Apr. 19, 2023

"Balance sheet adjustments may thus not be well-suited as the main instrument for controlling the overall stance."

From Reuters • Feb. 24, 2022

Balance sheet losses and rising risk premia could force banks and investors to sell other assets.

From BusinessWeek • Sep. 9, 2011

Balance sheet rather than income statement cheered General Motors stockholders last week.

From Time Magazine Archive

Balance sheet, estate, 307; farm, in 1805, 247; in 1888, 309.

From A Short History of English Agriculture by Curtler, W. H. R. (William Henry Ricketts)