The INT function will round any input number down to the nearest integer, removing the decimal, or fractional, portion of the number.
Contents:
Syntax
= INT(number)number = the number you wish to round down to the nearest integer
Explanation
The INT function is part of the "Math and Trigonometry" group of functions within Excel.
An integer is any whole number either positive or negative, and integers cannot be fractional or contain decimals.
This function takes any positive or negative input number, and rounds down to the nearest integer, removing any decimals or fractions associated with the number,
Because the function rounds down, the INT function will round negative numbers away from 0. For example, -3.1 would be rounded down to -4.
Notes:
- If the input is not a number or contains any text elements, a #VALUE! error will be returned
- A blank cell will be returned as a 0
Different Methods of Rounding in Excel
There are a lot of different ways to round numbers, and it all depends on the end goal you're trying to reach. Here are a few different rounding functions and when you would want to use them:
ROUND - normal rounding, rounds a specified place
MROUND - rounds to the nearest specified multiple
ROUNDUP - rounds up away from 0, to the nearest specified place
CEILING.MATH - rounds up to the nearest integer or significant multiple
ROUNDDOWN -rounds down away from 0, to the nearest specified place
FLOOR.MATH - rounds down to the nearest integer or significant multiple
INT - rounds down to the nearest integer, returns an integer
TRUNC - truncates all decimal places to specified place
Examples
1. How to Round a Number Down to the Nearest Integer
To round any number down to the nearest integer, simply feed the INT function a number you wish to round down.
The function will accept a hard coded value or a cell reference.
= INT(5.21)= INT(B1)2. How to Pull Out the Decimal Portion From Any Number
If you want to extract the decimal portion from any number, the INT function can be used to do this in combination with the ABS function.
To return the decimal portion from a number, you must take the original number, and subtract out the integer value.
In order to make this work with both positive and negative values, we have to take the absolute value of the input values. If we don't, we get the inverse of the decimal portion rather than the true decimal portion when evaluating negative values.
By taking the absolute value of the input and subtracting our the integer value, you are left with the decimal portion.
= ABS(number) - INT(ABS(number))
= ABS(A1) - INT(ABS(A1))