Key Terms

Active cell A cell that is highlighted or outlined by a bold black rectangle.

This is also called the current or highlighted cell.
Backstage view A view that shows you behind-the-scenes options for managing
files such as opening, saving, printing, and documenting files.
Cell A box on the grid identified by the intersection of a column and
a row..
Column Cells that run from top to bottom in a worksheet and are
identified by letters.
Command group Task-specific groups divided among the command tabs
appropriate to the work a user currently performs.
Command tabs Task-oriented tabs that are organized on the ribbon.
Dialog Box Launcher An arrow in the lower, right corner of some command groups
on the ribbon that opens a dialog box related to the command
group.
FILE tab In Office 2013, the tab that takes you to Backstage view to
access Save, Print, Options, and other commands.
Help system A system in Excel that is rich in information, illustrations, and
tips that can help you complete any task as you create
worksheets and workbooks.
Key Tip Small badges displaying keyboard shortcuts for specific tabs
and commands on the ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar. Also
referred to as hotkeys.
Name Box Located below the ribbon at the left end of the formula bar.
When a user types a cell location into this box and presses
Enter, the insertion point moves to that cell.
Quick Access Toolbar A toolbar that gives you fast and easy access to the tools you
use most often in Excel.
Ribbon A broad band that runs across the top of the Excel window that
organizes commands and tools into an easy-to-use interface.
The ribbon was introduced in Office 2007.
Row A line of cells that start at the left edge of a worksheet, continue
to the right, and are identified by numbers.
ScreenTips A small, onscreen rectangle that displays descriptive text when
you rest the pointer on a command or control.
Workbook A collection of worksheets in a single file.
Worksheet A page in a workbook that consists of a grid of rows and
columns in which you can enter text, values, and formulas, and
perform calculations.
Auto Fill An Excel feature that automatically fill cells with data,
formatting, or both.
AutoComplete An Excel feature that automatically enters the remaining
characters of an entry when the first few typed characters match
an entry made previously.
Copy To duplicate data from a worksheet to the Clipboard.
Cut To remove data from a worksheet. Cut data may be pasted into
a new location or locations in a worksheet.
Fill handle A small square in the lower, right corner of a selected cell or
range of cells. Used mainly to copy data to adjacent cells.
Flash fill A tool identified with symbols such as dotted, dashed, or solid
lines that fill the space before tabs.
Formula bar A bar located between the ribbon and the worksheet in which
users can edit the contents of a cell.
Keyword A word assigned to a documents properties that makes it easier
to organize and find documents.
Label Text entered in a worksheet that identifies numeric data and is
the most common type of text entered in a worksheet. Labels
are also used to sort and group data.
Move pointer A mouse pointer that enables users to drag a cell or range of
cells to a new location, replacing any existing data in the
destination cells.
Office Clipboard A location that collects and stores up to 24 copied or cut items
that are then available to be used in the active workbook, in
other workbooks, and in other Office programs.
Paste To insert data from the Clipboard to a new location in a
worksheet.
Range A group of adjacent cells you select to perform operations on
all of the selected cells.
Selecting text Highlighting text that is to be changed.
Workbook properties Items you directly change, such as keywords.
Default settings Pre-set settings that determine how Excel behaves when
performing an action.
Group Commands on the default ribbon tabs that are related in
functionality.
Navigation pane A pane found on the left side of Backstage view. It provides
you access to workbook and file-related commands through a
series of tabs.
Print options Several settings that enable you to change how a document
prints.
Tab (1) An area on the ribbon that contains groups of related
commands. See command tab. (2) An area of the Backstage
navigation pane that contains groups of related commands.
Template A file that includes formatting and formulas complete with
designs, tools, and specific data types.
Absolute cell reference A reference to a specific cell or range of cells regardless of
where the formula is located in the worksheet. An absolute cell
reference uses a dollar sign in front of the column and row
markers in a cell address.
Calculation operator Operators that specify the calculations to be performed.
Cell reference A reference that identifies a cells location in the worksheet based
on its row number and column letter.
Constant A number or text value entered directly into a formula.
External reference A cell or range in a worksheet in another Excel workbook, or a
defined name in another workbook.
Formula An equation that performs calculations, such as addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and division, on values in a worksheet.
Mixed cell reference A cell reference that uses an absolute column or row reference, but
not both.
Named range A group of cells, and occasionally a single cell, with a designated
name.
Nested parentheses Parentheses inside of parentheses within a formula.
Operand An element that identifies the values to be used in a calculation.
Order of operations The rules Excel follows to calculate any formula that contains two
or more operators.
Relative cell reference A cell reference that adjusts the cell identifier automatically if you
insert or delete columns or rows, or if you copy the formula to
another cell.
Scope The location within which Excel recognizes a named range, which
is either a specific worksheet or the entire workbook. If you set the
scope of a named range to Workbook, you can reference the
named range on any sheet in the workbook.
Value A number, a cell address, a date, text, or Boolean data in Excel.
Regarding formulas, it is usually a number or cell address.
Variable A symbol or name that represents something else; it can be a cell
address, a range of cells, and so on.
Argument The parameters of a function.
AutoSum A formula that calculates (by default) the total from the adjacent
cell through the first nonnumeric cell using the SUM function.
AVERAGE function A function that calculates (by default) the total from the adjacent
cell through the first nonnumeric cell using the SUM function in
its formula.
COUNT function A function that determines how many cells in a range contain a
number.
COUNTA function A function that returns the number of cells in the selected range
that contain text or values, but not blank cells.
Function A predefined formula that performs a calculation.
MAX function A function that returns the largest value in a set of values.
Merged cells Two or more cells combined into a single cell.

MIN function A function that determines the minimum value in a range of cells.
NOW function A function that returns todays date and the current time, in the
default format of mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm.
PMT function A function that requires a series of inputs regarding interest rate,
loan amount (principal), and loan duration, and then calculates the
resulting loan payment.
SUBTOTAL function A function that returns a subtotal for a list.
SUM function A function that totals all of the cells in a range.
TODAY function A function that returns the current date in a worksheet.
Trace arrow An arrow that shows the relationship between formulas and the
cells they refer to in order to resolve a formula error.
Align Arrange in a line or bring into alignment.
Attribute A formatting characteristic, such as bold, italic, or underlined text.
Conditional formatting An Excel feature that enables you to specify how cells that meet one or
more given conditions should be displayed.
Font A set of text properties that affects the typeface, size, and similar
aspects of text.
Format Painter A feature found in most Office applications that allows you to quickly
copy formatting attributes that you have already applied and paint
those attributes onto other text, shapes, pictures, and worksheet cells.
Hyperlink A shortcut that enables you to navigate to a web page or a location in
another file in just one click of the mouse.
Merged cells two or more cells combined into a single cell.
Mini toolbar A formatting tool that appears above or below the shortcut menu when
you right-click a cell and that displays the most commonly used
formatting commands.
Paste Special A tool that enables you to control specifically what you want to paste
after using the Copy or Cut commands, such as cell content, formulas,
values, formatting, and much more.
Rules Manager A tool that enables you to set the order of multiple rules, fine-tune rule
settings, and more.
Style A set of formatting attributes that you can apply to a cell or range of cells
more easily than by setting each attribute individually.
Wrap To automatically display data on the next line when it is too long to
display within the cells width. Wrapping automatically increases a cells
height.
Boundary The line between rows or columns.
Column heading The identifying letter of a column.
Column width The left-to-right measurement of a column.
Document theme A predefined set of colors, fonts, and effects that can be applied to
an entire workbook or to specific items in a workbook.
Effects Something that modifies the appearance of an object.
Footer Lines of text that appear at the bottom of each page.
Gridline The lines that display around worksheet cells.
Header A line of text that appears at the top of each page of a printed
worksheet.
Orientation The position of the content in a worksheet, so that it prints either
vertically or horizontally on a page.
Page break A divider that breaks a worksheet into separate pages for printing.
Page Break Preview An Excel view in which you can quickly adjust automatic page
breaks to achieve a more desirable printed document.
Print Preview An Excel view that enables you to see what your document will
look like before sending it to the printer.
Row heading The identifying letter of a row.
Row height The top-to-bottom measurement of a row.
Scaling Shrinking or stretching printed output to a percentage of its
actual size.
Transposing Changes your cell data to change orientation.
Watermark Text or a picture that appears in the background of a document;
it is similar to a sheet background in Excel.
White space The empty area of a document in which no content appears.
Find command A command to help you search for certain content.
Freeze To prevent portions of a worksheet from moving on the screen.
When you freeze panes, such as a row of column headings, the
column headings remain visible as you scroll down the worksheet
or change magnification.
Hide To make a worksheet invisible.
Pane A portion of a divided window.
Replace command An Excel feature that allows you to add content to a text box and
replace any matches Excel finds
Unhide To make a worksheet visible again.
Zoom An Excel feature that allows you to make a worksheet appear
bigger (zoom in) or smaller (zoom out).
Auto-outline A feature that automatically groups selected rows in Excel.
AutoFilter A built-in set of filtering capabilities.
Collapse To condense groups into single-row headings called outlines.
Criterion A condition you specify to limit which records are returned when
filtering data. The plural of criterion is criteria.
Data file An electronic file that stores a series of records in a relatively
simple format.
Database A comparatively complex system that can store a large amount of
related data, which requires a program to be able to assess and
render that data.
Delimiter A character that separates data entries from one another.
Filter A restriction that Excel uses to determine which worksheet rows
to display.
Grouping Organizing data so it can be viewed as a collapsible and
expandable outline.
Macro A series of steps you record that you might want to repeat
frequently to save time.
Outline Single-row headings.
Outline symbol Symbols that add controls next to the row and column headings to
change the view of an outlined worksheet.
Parse To separate into components. Also, to interpret character by
character.
Quick format Predefined formatting in Excel that enables you to apply an
elaborate format that makes a table look sleek and professional.
Slicer One of the ways to filter a table so that it shows only records
containing a certain object. A slicer is a selection panel that floats
above a worksheet (the way a chart does).
Subtotal The sum of values that are grouped together.
Table A range of cells in a worksheet that contains related data and can
be used by a lookup function.
Validation A feature in Excel that ensures data is entered correctly, before it
is processed incorrectly.
Arguments The parameters of a function.
Conditional formula A formula in which the result is determined by the presence or
absence of a particular condition.
criteria A condition you specify to limit which records are returned when
filtering data.
Lookup functions An efficient way to search for and insert a value in a cell when the
desired value is stored elsewhere in the worksheet or even in a
different workbook.
Table A range of cells in a worksheet that contains related data and can
be used by a lookup function.
Table array Data in a table arranged in rows and columns.
Change history In a shared workbook, a feature that includes the name of the
person who made each change, when the change was made, and
what data was changed.
Password Text that must be entered before a user can access a secured
workbook, worksheet, or worksheet elements.
Shared workbook A workbook set up to allow multiple networked users to view and
make changes simultaneously.
Strong password A password that combines uppercase and lowercase letters,
numbers, and symbols making the password difficult to guess.
Track Changes A feature that marks and records changes made to a workbook.
Axis A line bordering the chart plot area used as a frame of reference
for measurement.
Chart A graphical representation of numeric data in a worksheet.
Chart area The entire chart and all its elements.
Chart sheet A sheet that contains only a chart.
Data label Text that provides additional information about a data marker,
which represents a single data point or value that originates from a
worksheet cell.
Data marker A bar, area, dot, slice, or other symbol in a chart that represents a
single data point or value that originates from a worksheet cell.
Data series A row or column of data represented by a line, set of columns,
bars, or other chart type.
Embedded chart A chart placed on a worksheet rather than on a separate chart
sheet.
Legend An explanatory list that identifies the patterns or colors assigned to
the data series or categories in a chart.
PivotChart A graphical representation of the data in a PivotTable.
PivotTable A highly configurable table that condenses large amounts of data.
A PivotTable is used to analyze and display numerical data in
detail and to answer unforeseen questions about data.
Plot area The area bounded by axes in a chart.
Sparkline Miniature graphs that summarize data; typically used to
graphically describe trends in data.
Title Descriptive text that is aligned to an axis or at the top of a chart.
Artistic effect various artistic mediums and special effects designed for use on
photos in Excel.
Clip art Drawings and illustration files available in Excel.
Duotone An image with two colors.
Graphic An art-related object, such as a drawing, image, or shape.
Handle A small box on the side and/or corner of the graphic that you click
and pull to increase or decrease the size of a graphic.
Metadata A set of data that describes and gives information about other data.

Saturation Changing from color to black and white or to greater or reduced

levels of color.
Shape An editable line, circle, arrow, star, or other form.
SmartArt graphic A visual representation of information and ideas, such as an
organization chart, a flow chart, a process, or a Venn diagram.
Text box A floating box in a worksheet that can contain text or graphics.
WordArt An Office feature that combines text and artistic effects.