Excel Definitions: A to Z Glossary Terms

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.

Excel Definitions: A to Z Glossary Terms

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.

Excel Terms

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!

Learn in-demand excel skills from industry leaders.

Excel Basics CoursesOpens in a new tab | Advanced Excel CoursesOpens in a new tab | Data Analysis Excel CoursesOpens in a new tab | Business Analysis CoursesOpens in a new tab | Business Intelligence CoursesOpens in a new tab | Data Visualization CoursesOpens in a new tab | SQL CoursesOpens in a new tab | Data Analysis CoursesOpens in a new tab | Pivot Tables CoursesOpens in a new tab | Power Bi CoursesOpens in a new tab | Microsoft Word CoursesOpens in a new tab

CommunityJoin a community of over 100 million learners from around the world
CertificateLearn from more than 200 leading universities and industry educators.
Confidence70% of all learners who have stated a career goal and completed a course report outcomes such as gaining confidence, improving work performance, or selecting a new career path.
All courses include:
  • 100% online
  • Flexible schedule
  • Mobile learning
  • Videos and readings from professors at world-renowned universities and industry leaders
  • Practice quizzes

Can’t decide what is right for you?

Try the full learning experience for most courses free for 7 days.

Register to learn with Coursera’s community of 87 million learners around the world