ledger

/ˈlɛdʒər/

/ˈlɛdʒə/

Other forms: ledgers

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.

Definitions of ledger

1. noun

   a record in which commercial accounts are recorded
   synonyms: account book, book, book of account, leger

   types:

   cost ledger

   ledger showing the accumulated costs classified in various ways

   general ledger

   the ledger that contains all of the financial accounts of a business; contains offsetting debit and credit accounts (including control accounts)

   subsidiary ledger

   details of an account supporting the amount stated in the general ledger

   daybook, journal

   a ledger in which transactions have been recorded as they occurred

   type of:

   record

   a document that can serve as legal evidence of a transaction
2. noun

   an accounting journal as a physical object
   synonyms: daybook

   type of:

   journal

   a record book as a physical object