a record in which commercial accounts are recorded
"they got a subpoena to examine our books"
A book for keeping notes; a record book, a register.
"The accountant carefully entered every transaction into the company ledger to ensure accurate financial records."
In plain English: A ledger is a record of all financial transactions for a business or person.
"The accountant opened the ledger to record today's sales figures."
Usage: A ledger is specifically an official account book used to track financial transactions rather than general personal notes. Use the verb form "to ledger" only when describing the act of recording these specific entries within such a register.
To record (something) in, or as if in, a ledger.
"The accountant carefully logged every transaction to ensure accurate records were kept."
In plain English: To ledger something means to record it officially, usually by writing down financial transactions in an account book.
"The accountant will ledger every transaction to ensure our books are balanced."
A surname.
"Mr. Ledger is always ready to lend a hand when his neighbors need assistance."
The word "ledger" comes from Middle English terms meaning a large book or beam, which were derived from the verb for lying down. This original sense of something flat and stationary eventually evolved to describe the accounting books that lay out financial records.