10 min read

Glossary

Look up any term from the course. Each entry links back to the lesson that taught it.

Glossary of course terms
Term	Definition	Lesson
Absolute referenceAlso $	$An absolute reference locks a row, column, or both with dollar signs ($) so the address does not change when the formula is copied.$	Relative and Absolute References
Cell	$A cell is the box where a row and column meet; it is the smallest unit you can select, type into, or format in a worksheet.$	Entering Data
Cell referenceAlso Address	$A cell reference is the address of a cell, written as a column letter followed by a row number (such as B3), used in formulas to point at values.$	Cell References
Chart	$A chart is a visual representation of worksheet data — such as a column, line, or pie chart — linked to a cell range so it updates when the data changes.$	Creating Charts
Conditional formatting	$Conditional formatting applies visual styles — such as fill colour or icons — to cells that meet rules you define, making patterns easier to spot.$	Conditional Formatting
Excel tableAlso Table	$An Excel table is a formatted range with a header row, filter buttons, structured references, and automatic expansion when you add rows.$	Excel Tables
Fill handle	$The fill handle is the small square at the bottom-right corner of the active cell selection; drag it to copy a value, formula, or pattern into adjacent cells.$	The Fill Handle
FilterAlso AutoFilter	$Filter hides rows that do not match criteria you choose, so you can focus on a subset of data without deleting anything.$	Filtering Data
Formula	$A formula is an expression in a cell that starts with an equals sign (=) and can include numbers, cell references, operators, and functions to calculate a result.$	Basic Formulas
Formula bar	$The formula bar is the input area below the Ribbon that shows the full contents of the active cell, including complete formulas you cannot see in the cell itself.$	The Excel Window
FunctionAlso SUM, AVERAGE	$A function is a built-in named calculation in Excel — such as SUM, AVERAGE, or IF — that takes arguments in parentheses and returns a result.$	SUM and AVERAGE
Microsoft ExcelAlso Excel, Spreadsheet	$Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that stores data in a grid of rows and columns, and lets you calculate, format, analyse, chart, and print that data.$	Introduction
Name box	$The name box is the control at the left of the formula bar that displays the address of the active cell and can jump to a named range when you type a name.$	The Excel Window
Number formatAlso Currency	$Number format controls how a value is displayed — as currency, percentage, date, or plain number — without changing the stored value underneath.$	Number Formatting
PivotTableAlso Pivot	$A PivotTable summarises and rearranges large amounts of data — grouping, totalling, and counting — without writing many separate formulas.$	Introduction to PivotTables
Range	$A range is a rectangular group of cells, written with the top-left and bottom-right addresses separated by a colon (such as B2:E2).$	Cell References
Relative reference	$A relative reference is a cell address that adjusts when a formula is copied to another cell — the row and column offsets move with the copy.$	Relative and Absolute References
Sort	$Sort rearranges rows in a worksheet or table into ascending or descending order by one or more columns.$	Sorting Data
WorkbookAlso .xlsx	$A workbook is an Excel file that can contain one or more worksheets, charts, and other objects, saved with a .xlsx extension.$	Workbooks and Worksheets
WorksheetAlso Sheet, Tab	$A worksheet is a single grid of cells identified by rows and columns; a workbook contains one or more worksheets, each with its own tab name.$	Workbooks and Worksheets