Formula Guide

The Excel FLOOR Function
explained simply

FLOOR rounds a number down to the nearest multiple of a value you specify — the mirror image of CEILING.

ExcelPro · 4 min read · Updated June 2026
Contents
  1. What does FLOOR do?
  2. Syntax
  3. 4 examples
  4. Common mistakes
  5. FAQ

What does FLOOR do?

FLOOR rounds a number down to the nearest multiple of a "significance" value you choose — rounding down to the nearest 5, nearest 100, or nearest 0.25.

Use it whenever you need a conservative estimate that never rounds in your favor — like a forecast that should never overstate expected revenue.

Syntax

=FLOOR(number, significance)
ArgumentDescription
number requiredThe value to round down.
significance requiredThe multiple to round down to.

Examples

Example 1
Round down to nearest 5
=FLOOR(22,5)

Returns 20.

Example 2
Round down to nearest 100
=FLOOR(1430,100)

Returns 1400 — a conservative budget estimate.

Example 3
Round down to nearest quarter
=FLOOR(4.20,0.25)

Returns 4.00.

Example 4
Conservative revenue forecast
=FLOOR(B2,1000)

Rounds a projected revenue figure down to the nearest thousand, avoiding an overly optimistic forecast.

Common mistakes

⚠️ Confusing significance with decimal places

Like CEILING, FLOOR rounds to a multiple, not to a number of decimal places.

FAQ

What is the difference between FLOOR and ROUNDDOWN?
ROUNDDOWN rounds to a number of decimal places. FLOOR rounds down to the nearest multiple of any value you choose.

Practise FLOOR with real data

ExcelPro has hands-on FLOOR exercises built into real job scenarios — free to start.

Try FLOOR exercises →

Related formulas

CEILING ROUNDDOWN ROUNDUP