Interested in excel but you keep seeing terms unfamiliar to you? This A-to-Z glossary defines key excel terms you need to know.
Excel professionals are adept at creating, managing, and analyzing data using Microsoft Excel. They utilize various Excel features, formulas, and functions to organize data, perform calculations, create charts and graphs, conduct data analysis, and collaborate with teams to present valuable insights for decision-making and reporting purposes.
This excel glossary can be helpful if you want to get familiar with basic terms and advance your understanding of excel.
Interested in excel but you keep seeing terms unfamiliar to you? This A-to-Z glossary defines key excel terms you need to know.
Excel professionals are adept at creating, managing, and analyzing data using Microsoft Excel. They utilize various Excel features, formulas, and functions to organize data, perform calculations, create charts and graphs, conduct data analysis, and collaborate with teams to present valuable insights for decision-making and reporting purposes.
This excel glossary can be helpful if you want to get familiar with basic terms and advance your understanding of excel.
AutoSum
AutoSum is a built-in function in Microsoft Excel that automatically calculates and displays the sum of a selected range of cells. It is a quick way to find the total of a column or row of numbers without manually writing a formula.
Bold
Bold is a formatting option in Excel that makes selected text or numbers appear thicker and darker. It is commonly used to emphasize important information in worksheets and improve readability.
Cell
A cell is the basic worksheet unit in Excel, identified by its column letter and row number (e.g., A1, B2). Each cell can hold data such as text, numbers, formulas, or functions.
Data Validation
Data validation is a feature in Excel that allows you to set rules and restrictions on the type of data that can be entered into a cell. It helps ensure data accuracy and consistency.
Error Checking
Error checking is a tool in Excel that automatically identifies and highlights errors in formulas or cell values. It helps users quickly identify and correct potential mistakes in their worksheets.
Filter
Filtering in Excel allows you to display only specific data based on certain criteria while hiding the rest. It helps analyze data subsets and focus on specific information.
Graphs (Charts)
Graphs or charts in Excel are visual representations of data, such as bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, etc. They make it easier to understand and interpret data by presenting it in a visual format.
Header and Footer
The header and footer are sections at the top and bottom of each printed page in an Excel worksheet. They often contain page numbers, titles, dates, or other information that needs to appear on every page.
IF Function
The IF function in Excel allows you to perform a logical test and return one value if the condition is true and another value if the condition is false. It is commonly used for conditional calculations.
Justify
Justify is a text alignment option in Excel that evenly spaces text within a cell, both horizontally and vertically. It ensures a clean and uniform appearance of text in the cell.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of keys that perform specific actions in Excel. They help users complete tasks more efficiently and quickly navigate through the software.
Lookup Function
Lookup functions in Excel, such as VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP, allow you to find specific data within a table based on certain criteria. They help search and retrieve information from large datasets.
Merge and Center
Merge and Center is a formatting option in Excel that combines multiple cells into one cell and centers the content horizontally within the merged cell. It is commonly used for creating headings or titles.
Name Manager
Name Manager in Excel allows you to create, edit, and manage named ranges and formulas. Named ranges make referring to specific data in formulas and functions easier.
Orientation
Orientation in Excel refers to the alignment of text within a cell. It includes options such as horizontal (left-to-right or right-to-left) and vertical (top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top) orientation.
PivotTable
PivotTable is a powerful data analysis tool in Excel that allows you to summarize and analyze large datasets. It enables users to create custom reports and gain insights from complex data.
Query Editor (Power Query)
Query Editor, also known as Power Query, is an Excel add-in that enables data transformation and manipulation from various sources. It is valuable for cleaning and preparing data for analysis.
Relative and Absolute References
In Excel formulas, cell references can be relative or absolute. Relative references change when copied to other cells, while absolute references remain constant. This distinction is crucial for accurate calculations.
Sort
Sorting in Excel rearranges data in a selected range or column in ascending or descending order. It helps organize data for better analysis and presentation.
Text-to-Columns
Text-to-Columns is a feature in Excel that allows you to split data in a single cell into multiple columns based on a delimiter (e.g., comma, space). It is useful for separating data imported from external sources.
Undo and Redo
Undo and Redo are essential features in Excel that allow users to reverse or redo previous actions. They provide a safety net to correct mistakes and experiment with different changes.
Validation
Validation in Excel refers to verifying the accuracy and consistency of data. It involves identifying errors or inconsistencies using functions, formulas, or conditional formatting.
Worksheet
A worksheet is a single spreadsheet in an Excel workbook where users can enter, manipulate, and analyze data. Each workbook can contain multiple worksheets.
XLSX
XLSX is the file format used by Microsoft Excel to store workbooks and worksheets. It replaced the older XLS format and provided better data compression and support for modern Excel features.
Year
In Excel, the YEAR function extracts the year from a date. It is used to manipulate and analyze dates and can be helpful for date-based calculations.
Zoom
Zoom is a feature in Excel that allows users to adjust the magnification level of the worksheet. It helps control the visibility and display of data, especially when working with large datasets.
Conclusion
Congratulations on completing the A-to-Z glossary of Excel terms! Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user, understanding these key concepts will enhance your proficiency in data analysis and manipulation using Excel. Excel's versatility and powerful features make it a valuable tool for various tasks, from simple calculations to complex data analysis and reporting. Happy Excel-ing!
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