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• ledger
  ledger

  noun

  an account book or digital file of final entry, in which business transactions are recorded.
• Ledger
  Ledger

  noun

  Heath(cliffe) Andrew . 1979–2008, Australian film actor. His films include The Patriot (2000), A Knight's Tale (2001) and Brokeback Mountain (2005)

ledger

American  

[lej-er] / ˈlɛdʒ ɛr /

noun

• ledgers
  plural

1. Bookkeeping. an account book or digital file of final entry, in which business transactions are recorded.

   The Controller must oversee, review, and approve of all posting of financial activity into the General Ledger.

2. Computers. a decentralized public database of permanent records of financial transactions, distributed over a network and typically having the form of a blockchain, used especially in cryptocurrency systems.

   When users send or receive a payment in bitcoin, network nodes verify the transaction and then record it in a shared public ledger.

3. Building Trades.

   1. a horizontal board attached to a wall to support the ends of the joists of another structure such as a deck, porch, roof, etc..

      As the cause of the porch’s collapse, the inspector cited a ledger attached with improper screws.

   2. (in scaffolding) a horizontal board or metal tube attached to uprights, either to support the ends of the boards of a platform or for use as a handrail.

      Arrange the ledgers so the platforms slope slightly outwards, carrying rain away from the face of the building.

   3. ribbon.

4. Also called ledger stone.  a flat slab of stone laid over a grave or tomb.

   I had a Bible verse engraved on his ledger, ending with the words “Rest in peace.”

5. Angling, Chiefly British. Also leger a lead sinker with a hole in one end through which the line passes, enabling the bait and the sinker to rest on the bottom and allowing the fish to take the bait without detecting the sinker.

   If fishing for bass in particular, the ledger is preferred.

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ledger ¹ British  

/ ˈlɛdʒə /

noun

1. accounting the principal book in which the commercial transactions of a company are recorded

2. a flat horizontal slab of stone

3. a horizontal scaffold pole fixed to two upright poles for supporting the outer ends of putlogs

4. angling

   1. a wire trace that allows the weight to rest on the bottom and the bait to float freely

   2. ( as modifier )

      ledger tackle

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verb

1. (intr) angling to fish using a ledger

Ledger ² British  

/ ˈlɛdʒə /

noun

1. Heath(cliffe) Andrew . 1979–2008, Australian film actor. His films include The Patriot (2000), A Knight's Tale (2001) and Brokeback Mountain (2005)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ledgers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ledger

First recorded in 1475–85; earlier legger “book,” probably equivalent to legg(en) “to set down, lay” + -er noun suffix; see lay ¹, -er ¹, ledge

Explanation

A ledger is kind of like a diary, but for money. It's a book for keeping track of expenses, profits, and other financial matters. A ledger is an accounting journal used to keep track of money. Businesses — or their accountants — keep careful ledgers so they know how much money is coming in and going out. If you've ever heard the expression "cook the books" — meaning cheat financially by making things up — the "books" are ledgers. If you like numbers and money, maybe you should become an accountant so you can help people with their ledgers.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ledger Ledger ledgers

On the other side of the ledger, what work does he have to show on behalf of the American people?

From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2026

To be honest, though, since the 40-year bond rally terminated in 2020, investors who ply their trade on the fixed-income side of the ledger have become accustomed to driving under a yellow flag.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

The robot cops represent the other side of the ledger: China’s institutional ambition.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

The ledger also lists Doha, Qatar, as the address for a mysterious entity called AM FIG Cayman Limited, which invested around $10 million in 2020.

From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026

He turned away from me and began to write in his ledger.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

She covered New York politics as an intern for City & State NY, was a community editor for the Queens Ledger and Brooklyn Downtown Star, and interned at WHYY.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

Jim Willse, editor of the Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J., from 1995 until 2010, said he would give “us all the resources we needed to make the Ledger really special.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

The Canadian bank will offer 24/7 tokenized cash services using derivatives marketplace CME Group’s CME -0.48%decrease; red down pointing triangle network on Google Cloud Universal Ledger.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026

After Scotty’s death, Ledger became a staple in Diem’s life, and the budding romance with Kenna tangles everyone into a gnarled knot of low-stakes deception and drama.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2026

One works as a counter girl at Nielsen’s General Store, one at a bakery, another at the Hemingford Ledger as a receptionist.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

During her morning news conference, she seemed to mock some of the U.S. evidence, including hand-written ledgers allegedly denoting payoffs to Mexican politicians.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026

Iranian importers and exporters then trade foreign currency among their various front companies on ledgers maintained in Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

The company imploded after a dispute with bank partners revealed a massive shortfall in customer funds and a failure to keep accurate ledgers, according to court filings in Synapse’s bankruptcy proceeding.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 17, 2026

They are transferred over decentralized blockchain ledgers, like other cryptocurrencies.

From Barron's ● Dec. 18, 2025

J. T. once showed his ledgers to the board of directors to prove, as if proof were needed, the extent of his business acumen.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt