A database that is used to record transactions across a network of devices, usually computers or servers. \"Distributed\" refers to how the nodes (or computers or servers) of the network are designed architecturally, and where they are located geographically. \"Ledger\" in this context, and traditionally, simply refers to a centralized database that is used to store financial records, such as a company's financials, liabilities, revenues, owner's equity, and other financial information. Now, combine the two ideas and you have a ledger that is distributed across many devices, instead of one device, in many different locations, possibly around the world. Even if one of those locations disappears, or a computer or server goes down, the ledger is still intact, still secure, and the data stored within the ledger can still be processed, validated, and authenticated.
Example
“IBM's Hyperledger Fabric is an enterprise distributed ledger technology used by companies to track supply chains, allowing all parties to share a single verified record.”