An accrual is a term used in accounting to refer to the recognition of revenues and expenses when they are earned or incurred, rather than when they are received or paid. This means that transactions are recorded in the period in which they occur, regardless of when the money actually changes hands.

Here is an example of how an accrual might work in practice:

Suppose that a company called ABC Inc. provides consulting services to a client in March, and the client agrees to pay for the services in April. Under the accrual method of accounting, ABC Inc. would recognize the revenue from the consulting services in March, when the services were provided, even though the money has not yet been received. This would be recorded in the company's general ledger as an accrual, with a credit to the consulting services revenue account and a debit to the accounts receivable account.

Once April arrives and the client pays the invoice, the accounts receivable account would be reduced by the amount of the payment, and the cash account would be increased by the same amount. This transaction would also be recorded in the general ledger, and it would serve to reconcile the accounts receivable and cash accounts.

In this way, accruals are used to record revenues and expenses in the period in which they are earned or incurred, rather than waiting until the money is actually received or paid. This allows for a more accurate and complete representation of a company's financial performance.