FLOOR function
FLOOR rounds a number down to the previous multiple you choose: down to the nearest 10, the nearest quarter, or the start of a price band. It's the mirror of CEILING and is useful for grouping values into brackets.
- Available in
- Every current version
- Category
- Math functions
- Returns
- The largest multiple of significance that is no more than number. Negative numbers round away from zero.
Syntax
=FLOOR(number, [significance])
| Argument | Required? | What it is |
|---|---|---|
number | Required | The value to round down. |
significance | Optional | The multiple to round down to, such as 10 or 0.25. Excel requires it in FLOOR; FLOOR.MATH makes it optional. |
Examples
Each result below is calculated from the sample sheet by our formula engine, the same one that grades the practice.
| Cell | Formula | Result | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| D2 | =FLOOR(B2,10) | 30 | Down to the multiple of 10 below: 37 becomes 30 |
| D3 | =FLOOR(B3,0.25) | 4.75 | Down to the quarter: 4.87 hours becomes 4.75 |
| D4 | =FLOOR(B4,2) | -4 | Negative numbers move away from zero: -2.5 becomes -4 |
Try it live
This is the sample sheet. Change any number or text, or edit a formula, and the results update.
Show the sample data as a table
| Item | Amount | Rounded down | |
| Order size | 37 | 30 | |
| Hours logged | 4.87 | 4.75 | |
| Adjustment | -2.5 | -4 |
Practice FLOOR
Graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data.
Price break quantity
C2, use FLOOR to round each order down to the nearest 50. Fill down to C6.Common mistakes
| What you see | Why, and how to fix it |
|---|---|
| #NUM! | number is positive but significance is negative, such as =FLOOR(25,-5). Use a positive significance. |
| Excel says too few arguments | FLOOR needs significance. Use =FLOOR(A2,1) for whole numbers, or FLOOR.MATH(A2), where it's optional. |
| -2.5 became -4, not -2 | For negative numbers FLOOR rounds down, away from zero. Use TRUNC or ROUNDDOWN to move toward zero instead. |
Tips
- Group values into bands for a summary: =FLOOR(B2,100) puts 0–99 in band 0, 100–199 in band 100, and so on.
Questions
How do I round down to the nearest 10 in Excel?
Use =FLOOR(A2,10) or =ROUNDDOWN(A2,-1).
How do I round a time down to the hour?
Use =FLOOR(A2,"1:00") and format the result as a time.
What is the difference between FLOOR and INT?
INT always rounds down to a whole number. FLOOR rounds down to any multiple you choose.
Last reviewed October 2026. Every example result on this page is calculated live by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine.