balance sheet

American  

noun

Accounting.

balance sheets plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• balance sheets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of balance sheet

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

balance sheet

This is your risk tolerance, and figuring that out is usually how financial advisers start the planning process in earnest, after getting down all your demographic information and calculating your current balance sheet.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

William Blair’s Jeffrey took an opposing stance, writing in a note that he was bullish on SoFi’s willingness to put more origination volume on the balance sheet.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

Regeneron is in a stronger position than many other companies to do deals, with more than $18 billion of cash on its balance sheet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

That’s a strong balance sheet position, Macquarie says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The act of bringing together after a difference, as in to reconcile numbers on a balance sheet; resolution.

From "The Lemonade War" by Jacqueline Davies