Basic Spreadsheet Terms
Active Cell: This refers to the currently selected cell in a spreadsheet. For example, if you click on cell A1, A1 becomes the active cell.
Cell: The basic unit of a spreadsheet, where data is entered. For instance, cell B3 refers to the cell at the intersection of column B and row 3.
Column: A vertical series of cells in a spreadsheet. For example, column C consists of all cells that fall along the vertical line labeled "C".
Formula Bar: The area in a spreadsheet where you can enter or edit data or a formula in the active cell or range. For instance, when you click on a cell and begin to type, the input is displayed in the formula bar.
Gridlines: The horizontal and vertical lines that define the cells. For example, gridlines separate cell A1 from B1 and A2.
Header Row: The top row of a spreadsheet that labels the content for each column. For example, in a budget spreadsheet, the header row might include "Item", "Cost", "Date", etc.
Merge Cells: A feature that combines two or more cells into a single cell. For instance, you might merge cells A1 and B1 to create a wider cell for a title.
Range: A group or block of cells in a spreadsheet that have been selected or highlighted. For example, A1:C3 represents a range that includes cells A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, and C3.
Row: A horizontal series of cells in a spreadsheet. For example, row 5 consists of all cells that fall along the horizontal line labeled "5".
Sheet/Worksheet: A single page in a workbook where you work with data. In Excel, for instance, you can add more sheets to a workbook as needed.
Spreadsheet: A file made of rows and columns that help sort data efficiently. It's used for organizing and analyzing data. For example, you might use a spreadsheet to track your expenses.
Workbook: A file in spreadsheet programs that contains one or more worksheets. For example, an annual budget workbook might include separate worksheets for each month.
Spreadsheet Functions
AVERAGE(): This function calculates the average of a group of selected cells. For example, AVERAGE(A1:A10) would calculate the average of the numbers in cells A1 through A10.
COUNT(): This function counts the number of cells that contain numbers in a range. For example, COUNT(A1:A10) would count the number of cells with numerical data in cells A1 through A10.
COUNTA(): This function counts the number of cells that are not empty in a range. This includes cells with numbers, text, logical values, errors, and empty text (""). For example, COUNTA(A1:A10) would count all cells with any kind of data in cells A1 through A10.
IF(): This function checks whether a condition is met, and returns one value if true and another value if false. For example, IF(A1>10, "Yes", "No") would return "Yes" if A1 is greater than 10, and "No" otherwise.
INDEX(): This function returns a value or the reference to a value from within a table or range. For example, INDEX(A1:C10, 5, 3) would return the value in the fifth row and third column of the range A1:C10.
MATCH(): This function searches for a specified item in a range of cells, and then returns the relative position of that item in the range. For example, MATCH("apple", A1:A10, 0) would return the position of the word "apple" within cells A1 through A10.
MAX(): This function returns the largest numeric value in the data set. For example, MAX(A1:A10) would return the highest number in the range A1 to A10.
MIN(): This function returns the smallest numeric value in the data set. For example, MIN(A1:A10) would return the lowest number in the range A1 to A10.
SUM(): This function adds up all the numbers in a range of cells. For example, SUM(A1:A10) would add together all the numbers in cells A1 through A10.
VLOOKUP(): This function looks for a value in the leftmost column of a table, and then returns a value in the same row from a column you specify. For example, VLOOKUP("apple", A1:C10, 2, FALSE) would return the value in the same row as "apple" from the second column of the range A1:C10.
Data Manipulation Terms
Autofill: This is a function in spreadsheets that fills cells with data following a pattern or based on the type of data. For example, if you type "January" into a cell, you can use autofill to fill the next cells with the subsequent months.
Conditional Formatting: This feature allows cells' formats to change based on conditions set by the user. For example, you might use conditional formatting to color cells red if they contain values over 100.
Data Validation: A feature of Excel and other spreadsheet programs that restricts the type of data or the values that users can enter into a cell. For instance, you might set data validation rules to only allow dates in a certain range.
Filter: A feature that allows you to display only rows in your dataset that meet specific criteria. For example, if you have a list of students with their grades, you could filter to only show students who received an 'A'.
Freeze Panes: This feature allows you to keep a portion of your sheet visible while the rest of the sheet scrolls. For instance, you might freeze the first row of your sheet to keep your headers visible as you scroll down.
Pivot Table: A data summarization tool used in spreadsheet programs. It can automatically sort, count, total or average the data stored in one table or spreadsheet, creating a second table displaying the summarized data. For example, you might use a pivot table to summarize sales data by region.
Sort: A feature that allows you to arrange your data in alphabetical or numerical order. For example, you could sort a list of employees by their last name.
Text to Columns: This is a feature that allows you to separate the content of one cell into separate cells based on a delimiter. For example, if you have full names in one column, you could use Text to Columns to split the full names into separate first name and last name columns.
Transpose: This feature allows you to rotate your data, turning columns into rows, or rows into columns. For instance, you might transpose data if it’s more useful to present it horizontally instead of vertically.
Wrap Text: A feature that shows all the information in a cell, even if it overflows the cell boundaries. Instead of expanding the cell, it creates a new line within the cell. For example, you might wrap text in a cell to keep your columns a consistent width.
Template-Specific Terms
Budget Template: A type of spreadsheet template that is used to manage income and expenses. For example, a personal budget template might include categories for income, fixed expenses, and variable expenses.
Custom Template: A spreadsheet template created by a user to fit specific needs. For instance, a teacher might create a custom template for tracking student grades.
Dashboard Template: A type of spreadsheet template designed to provide an at-a-glance view of key metrics or performance indicators. For instance, a sales dashboard might show current sales figures, quarter-on-quarter growth, and top-performing products.
Gantt Chart Template: A spreadsheet template used in project management to visualize project schedules. For example, a project manager might use a Gantt chart template to plan tasks over the duration of the project.
Inventory Template: A type of spreadsheet template that helps businesses keep track of their stock to manage supply effectively. For instance, a retail store might use an inventory template to track how many units of each product they have in stock.
Pre-formatted Spreadsheet: A spreadsheet that has already been formatted to serve a particular purpose. For instance, a pre-formatted budget spreadsheet might include categories for different types of expenses, with formulas to calculate total income and expenses.
Spreadsheet Template: A pre-designed spreadsheet file that can be used as a starting point for creating a new spreadsheet. Spreadsheet templates often include formatting, formulas, and other elements that are commonly used for specific tasks or types of analysis. For instance, a business might use a profit and loss template to start tracking their finances.
Template Gallery: A collection of templates that users can browse and choose from. For example, Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets have template galleries with a wide range of pre-designed spreadsheets for different uses.
Timesheet Template: A spreadsheet template used to track hours worked by employees or contractors. For instance, a business might use a timesheet template to track hours worked by hourly employees and calculate their pay.
Spreadsheet Formulas
Absolute Reference: A cell reference that remains constant, even when copied to another cell. It's denoted by a dollar sign in Excel. For example, in the formula =A1+$B$1, B1 is an absolute reference and will not change if the formula is copied to another cell.
Array Formula: A formula that performs multiple calculations on one or more of the items in an array. Array formulas can return either multiple results or a single result. For example, =SUM(A1:A5*B1:B5) is an array formula that multiplies each pair of numbers from two columns and adds them up.
Cell Reference: The address of a cell in a spreadsheet, defined by its column letter and row number. For example, A1 is a cell reference.
Formula: A mathematical equation used to calculate a value. In Excel, all formulas start with an equals sign (=). For example, =A1+B1 is a formula that adds the value in cell A1 and the value in cell B1.
Function: A predefined formula in Excel and other spreadsheet applications. For example, SUM() is a function that adds all the numbers in a specified range.
Named Range: A descriptive name for a collection of cells or range in a worksheet. For example, instead of using the cell reference B1:B10, you might define a named range "SalesData" to refer to these cells in your formulas.
Operator: A symbol that represents a mathematical operation. In Excel, plus (+), minus (-), divide (/), multiply (*), and exponentiation (^) are all operators. For example, in the formula =A1+B1, the plus sign (+) is the operator.
Order of Operations: The rules that specify the order in which operations in a formula are carried out. Excel follows the standard mathematical order of operations. For example, in the formula =A1+B1*2, Excel performs multiplication before addition.
Relative Reference: A cell reference that adjusts automatically when a formula is copied to another cell. For example, if you copy the formula =A1+B1 from row 1 to row 2, the formula will adjust to =A2+B2.
Volatile Function: A function that causes recalculation of the formula in the cell where it resides every time Excel recalculates. This can slow down the performance of Excel if a workbook contains many volatile functions. Examples of volatile functions are NOW(), TODAY(), RAND(), etc.
Advanced Spreadsheet Terms
Array: In spreadsheet terminology, an array refers to a range of cells that a function or formula is applied to. For example, if you have a list of numbers in cells A1 through A5, you could use the array formula =SUM(A1:A5) to add up all the numbers.
Array Formula: A formula that performs an operation or a series of operations on multiple values (an array) instead of a single value. An array formula can perform multiple calculations and then return either a single result or multiple results. Array formulas are enclosed between braces {} and are entered by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
Database Functions: These are Excel functions that perform simple operations, such as count, max, min, etc., but only on specified records of a database. They are based on criteria defined by the user. An example is DSUM, which adds the numbers in a column of a list or database based on specified conditions.
Goal Seek: A tool in Excel that adjusts a value used in a formula to achieve a specific goal. For instance, you could use Goal Seek to determine what sales figure you would need to reach a specific profit target.
Lookup Functions: A category of functions in Excel that find and return a value from a table or a range. Examples include VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and the more recent XLOOKUP.
Macros: A macro is a series of commands or instructions grouped together as a single command to perform a task automatically. Users can create macros for tasks they perform frequently to save time.
Pivot Table: A data summarization tool in Excel and other spreadsheet software. It allows users to summarize and analyze large datasets in tabular format. It can automatically sort, count, total, or average the data stored in one table or spreadsheet.
Power Pivot: An Excel add-in that you can use to perform powerful data analysis. It allows you to import millions of rows of data from multiple data sources into a single Excel workbook, create relationships between heterogeneous data, create calculated columns and measures using formulas, build PivotTables and PivotCharts.
Solver: An Excel add-in that can be used for what-if analysis. You can use Solver to find an optimal value (maximum, minimum, or specific target) for a formula in one cell, subject to constraints or limits on the values of other formula cells.
VBA (Visual Basic for Applications): The programming language used to create macros in Excel and other Microsoft Office applications. VBA allows users to automate tasks and customize Excel.
Spreadsheet Errors
#DIV/0!: This error occurs when a formula attempts to divide by zero. For example, if cell A1 contains the number 1 and cell A2 is empty (and thus considered to be zero), the formula =A1/A2 would return a #DIV/0! error.
#N/A: This error message typically means that a function, like VLOOKUP or MATCH, can't find the value it's been asked to search for. For example, if you're using =VLOOKUP("Bob",A1:B5,2,FALSE) but there's no "Bob" in the first column of that range, you'd see a #N/A error.
#NAME?: This error appears when Excel doesn't recognize text in a formula. This often happens when you misspell a function name, like typing "SUMM" instead of "SUM".
#NULL!: This error occurs when you specify an intersection of two areas that don't actually intersect, or when you omit a range operator (comma or colon).
#NUM!: This error occurs when a formula or function contains invalid numeric values. For example, if you tried to find the square root of a negative number, Excel would return a #NUM! error.
#REF!: This error occurs when a cell reference is not valid. For example, if your formula referenced cell B1, and then you deleted column B, your formula would return a #REF! error because it no longer has a valid cell to reference.
#VALUE!: This error occurs when a formula receives the wrong type of argument or operand. For example, if you tried to subtract a text value from a number, you would see a #VALUE! error.
Data Types
Boolean Value: A data type that can only take one of two values: TRUE or FALSE. For example, a cell might contain a Boolean value if it's being used to check whether a certain condition is met.
Currency: A data type that's used to store values that represent money. It's formatted with a currency symbol. For instance, $1,000.00 or £1,000.00.
Date/Time: This data type is used to store dates and times. Dates are usually displayed in the mm/dd/yyyy format (though this can change depending on your region), and times in hh:mm:ss format. For example, "12/31/2023" or "23:59:59".
Decimal Number (or Floating-Point Number): A data type that can contain numbers with one or more digits after the decimal point. For example, 10.5 is a decimal number.
Error Value: Special data type used to represent errors in calculations or formulas, like #VALUE!, #REF!, etc.
Integer: A data type that represents whole numbers, both positive and negative, but not fractions or decimals. For example, 100 is an integer.
Percent: A data type that represents a number as a fraction of 100. For example, 0.10 can be displayed as 10% using the percent format.
Text (or String): A data type that is used to store any combination of characters, including letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation. For example, "Hello, World!" is a text string.
Time: A data type used to represent times of the day. It's generally formatted in hours:minutes:seconds (hh:mm:ss). For instance, "08:30:00" represents 8:30 AM.
Charting and Visualization
Axis (Axes): The vertical and horizontal parts of a chart that provide a reference frame for measurement and categorization. The horizontal axis is also known as the x-axis, and the vertical axis is the y-axis.
Bar Chart: A chart that presents categorical data with rectangular bars of lengths proportional to the values they represent. A bar chart can be vertical or horizontal.
Chart: A graphical representation of data, which could take various forms such as a line chart, bar chart, pie chart, etc. Charts are used to make it easier to understand large quantities of data and the relationships between different data series.
Data Series: A group of related data points or markers that are plotted in charts and graphs. For instance, in a bar chart comparing sales over several years, each year could be a different data series.
Graph: A type of chart that represents numeric data in a spatial context to provide a visual representation of the relationships between different data sets.
Legend: A key that provides information to help interpret the data displayed in the chart. For example, in a chart comparing sales across different years, the legend would indicate which color or pattern corresponds to each year.
Line Chart: A type of chart that displays information as a series of data points called 'markers' connected by straight line segments. It's commonly used to display trends over time.
Pie Chart: A type of graph in which a circle is divided into sectors, each of which represents a proportion of the whole.
Plot Area: The area in a chart that contains the data series, gridlines, data markers, axis labels, etc.
Scatter Plot (or Scatter Chart): A type of plot or mathematical diagram using Cartesian coordinates to display values for typically two variables for a set of data. It's used when there's a lot of data, and you want to highlight similarities in the data set.
Title: A brief description of a chart that explains what the chart represents.
X-Axis: The horizontal line of a 2-dimensional graph that typically represents the independent variable or input of a function.
Y-Axis: The vertical line of a 2-dimensional graph that typically represents the dependent variable or output of a function.
Collaboration and Sharing
Collaborate: The ability for multiple users to work on the same spreadsheet simultaneously. This feature is especially prevalent in online spreadsheet programs like Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel for the web.
Comment: A note that users can add to cells within a spreadsheet to provide additional context or ask questions. Comments don't affect a cell's contents and can be viewed or hidden as necessary.
Edit Permissions: Settings that determine what level of access a collaborator has to a shared spreadsheet. This can range from viewing only to full editing capabilities.
Invite: Sending a request to another user to view or edit a spreadsheet. This often involves sending an email with a link to the spreadsheet.
Link Sharing: The ability to generate a URL that points to a spreadsheet. This link can then be shared with others, providing them with access to the spreadsheet.
Real-Time Collaboration: A feature that allows multiple users to work on a spreadsheet simultaneously, with all changes appearing immediately for all users.
Share: Providing others with access to view and/or edit a spreadsheet. This can be done via email, link sharing, or directly within the spreadsheet program if it supports collaboration.
Version History (or Revision History): A record of changes made to a spreadsheet over time. Users can view past versions of a spreadsheet and, in some cases, revert to a previous version.
View-Only Access: An access level in which a user can see the contents of a spreadsheet but cannot make any changes.
Workspace: An area in a spreadsheet application where multiple files can be opened, viewed, and edited at the same time. This is useful when working on complex projects with many different files or when collaborating with others.