A reference locked with dollar signs, such as $B$2, that keeps pointing at the same cell when you copy the formula somewhere else.
Read more: Cell references: relative, absolute and mixed
See also: reference, relative reference
Glossary
The Excel terms used on this site, in plain words.
A
- absolute reference
- argument
One of the inputs you give a function between its parentheses, separated by the list separator of your Windows regional settings: usually commas with US or UK settings and semicolons with Dutch settings. Some arguments are required, others are optional.
See also: nested function
Used on many function pages.
- array
A set of values that Excel handles as one unit, laid out in rows and columns. A range is an array, and so is a list you type between curly braces.
Read more: Spill and dynamic arrays
See also: range, dynamic array, spill
Used on many function pages.
B
- binary search
A fast way to search a sorted list: Excel looks at the middle value, keeps the half that can hold the answer, and repeats. On a list that is not sorted it can miss a value that is there, without any warning.
See also: array
C
D
- dynamic array
A result that grows or shrinks on its own as the source data changes, available in Excel 2021 and Microsoft 365. Functions such as FILTER, UNIQUE and SORT produce one.
E
- error value
A special result that starts with # and tells you what went wrong, such as #N/A for a value that was not found or #DIV/0! for a division by zero. Dutch Excel shows translated names, such as #N/B and #DEEL/0!.
See also: cell
F
- formula bar
The strip above the grid that shows the formula or value of the selected cell. The cell shows the result; the formula bar shows what produced it.
See also: cell
M
- mixed reference
A reference with one dollar sign, such as $A2 or A$2: the part with the $ stays fixed when you copy the formula, the other part shifts. Useful for two-way tables.
Read more: Cell references: relative, absolute and mixed
See also: absolute reference, relative reference
N
- named range
A range you have given a name, such as TaxRate for cell $F$1, so formulas can use the name instead of the address. You manage names in the Name Manager.
Read more: Named ranges and structured references
See also: range, absolute reference
- nested function
A function used as an argument of another function, such as the ROUND inside SUM(ROUND(A2, 0), 5). Excel works out the inner function first and hands its result to the outer one.
See also: argument
O
- operator
A symbol that tells Excel what to do with the values around it: calculate (+ - * / ^ %), compare (= < > <= >= <>), join text (&) or combine references (the colon, comma and space). Excel works through them in a fixed order.
Explained on: CONCAT, COUNTIF, EXACT, INDEX, SUM, SUMIF, SUMIFS, UNIQUE
R
- range
A block of cells you refer to as one thing, written as the top-left and bottom-right cell with a colon between them, such as A2:C10.
See also: cell, reference, named range
Used on many function pages.
- reference
The address of a cell or range inside a formula, so the formula reads the value that is there instead of a typed-in number. When the cell changes, the formula follows.
Read more: Cell references: relative, absolute and mixed
See also: cell, range, absolute reference, relative reference
Used on many function pages.
- regular expression
A text pattern written in a compact notation, such as ^INV-[0-9]{6}$ for an invoice number of INV- and six digits. REGEXTEST, REGEXEXTRACT, REGEXREPLACE and match_mode 3 of XLOOKUP and XMATCH read it.
Read more: Regular expressions
Explained on: REGEXEXTRACT, REGEXREPLACE, REGEXTEST, XMATCH
- relative reference
A reference without dollar signs, such as B2, that shifts along when you copy the formula: one row down in the formula means one row down in the reference.
Read more: Cell references: relative, absolute and mixed
See also: reference, absolute reference
S
- serial number
The whole number Excel stores behind a date, counting days from 1 January 1900; the fraction after the decimal point is the time of day. Date formatting only changes how that number is displayed.
Read more: Dates and times as serial numbers
See also: cell
Used on many function pages.
- spill
What happens when a formula returns more than one value: the results flow into the neighbouring cells below or to the right. The formula lives in one cell; the other cells show the spilled values.
Read more: Spill and dynamic arrays
See also: dynamic array, array
Used on many function pages.
- structured reference
A reference that uses a table name and column header instead of cell addresses, such as Orders[Amount]. It keeps working when rows are added to the table.
V
- volatile function
A function that recalculates every time anything in the workbook changes, not only when its own inputs change. TODAY, NOW, RAND, RANDBETWEEN, INDIRECT and OFFSET are volatile, which can slow a large workbook down.
See also: workbook
Explained on: RAND
W
- wildcard
A placeholder character in a text criterion: ? stands for any single character and * for any run of characters, so "A*" matches everything that starts with A.
See also: criteria
Explained on: COUNTIF, FIND, MATCH, REGEXTEST, SEARCH, XMATCH
- workbook
The Excel file itself, which holds one or more worksheets plus names, tables and settings.
See also: worksheet
Explained on: HLOOKUP, NUMBERVALUE, OFFSET, RAND, RANDARRAY, RANDBETWEEN, TODAY, VLOOKUP