balance-sheet
Definition
- Noun:
- Financial statement: A "balance-sheet" is a summary of the financial balances of an individual or organization, showing assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time.
Usage Examples
- (A document listing assets and liabilities.)
- (A financial statement used for analysis.)
Advanced Usage
"off-balance-sheet": Refers to items not recorded on the balance-sheet, such as certain leases or joint ventures.
- Some liabilities are kept off-balance-sheet to improve financial ratios. (Hidden from the main statement.)
"balance-sheet recession": An economic downturn caused by a high level of private sector debt, where firms focus on paying down liabilities rather than investing.
- The country experienced a balance-sheet recession after the housing bubble burst. (A recession driven by debt reduction.)
Variants and Related Words
- Balance (n): the state of having equal weight, value, or amount.
- The balance in your account is low. (The remaining amount.)
- Sheet (n): a piece of paper or a broad flat surface.
- He wrote the numbers on a sheet of paper. (A single page.)
Synonyms
- Financial statement: a formal record of financial activities.
- Statement of financial position: an alternative term for balance-sheet.
Phrasal Verbs
- Balance out: to equalize or offset.
- The gains and losses balance out over the year. (They become equal.)
Related Idioms
On the balance sheet: included in the official financial records.
- The new building was added on the balance sheet as an asset. (Recorded in the statement.)
Tip the balance: to change a situation decisively.
- The new contract tipped the balance in favour of the merger. (Altered the outcome.)