In Excel: use =INT(number) — it returns the next integer at or below the value, so 7.9 becomes 7 and -7.1 becomes -8.
On this page8
Syntax
Arguments
| Argument | required / optional | Description |
|---|---|---|
number | required | The value to round down to the next lower integer. |
Related functions
Click the cell for the whole-unit result and type =INT(.
Select the value or the division that produces it, such as A2/60.
Close the bracket and press Enter.
Put =MOD(A2, 60) in the neighbouring cell to capture the remainder that INT discarded.
Need it as an auditable file?
Ships inside the linked template — formula-driven, unlocked, audit-ready.
What this does
INT rounds down to the nearest whole number on the number line, which for negatives means moving away from zero: INT(-7.1) is -8. That is the single behaviour that separates it from TRUNC, and it is the behaviour you want when the integer must never exceed the original value. INT takes exactly one argument and has no precision setting. Paired with MOD it decomposes a value into whole units and a remainder, which is the standard idiom for converting minutes into hours and minutes, or an item count into full boxes plus leftovers. The same idea underpins a lot of everyday Excel work, so the few minutes spent getting it right here pay back across every sheet you build afterwards. Treat it as a pattern, not a one-off, and it stops being something you look up and starts being something you reach for. The difference between a quick fix and a sheet you can trust is the extra minute you spend validating “int formula in excel”. Start on a copy or a tiny sample, keep the affected formula visible, and compare the result with the tool above before you touch the real workbook. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. The point is a calculation you can defend to a CFO or an auditor, but the practical win is that someone else can open the file and understand what happened without asking you.
A worked example
Converting 197 minutes into hours and minutes: =INT(197/60) returns 3 hours and =MOD(197, 60) returns the remaining 17 minutes. Getting the date out of a date-time stamp, =INT(A2) drops the time portion. Counting full boxes from 47 items at 12 per box, =INT(47/12) returns 3. INT is the building block of every "whole units plus remainder" calculation, from time conversion to packing to pagination. One habit worth forming early: name the cells that hold your inputs, so the formula reads in plain language instead of a string of cell addresses. A reviewer — or you in three months — can then follow the logic without decoding what B7 and D2 were supposed to mean, which is most of what makes a sheet maintainable.
In Google Sheets
Everything above works in Google Sheets too. Excel and Sheets share the formula syntax used here; only the surrounding menus are arranged differently. That portability is deliberate — learn it once and it follows you between the two tools and across Windows and Mac. Nothing on this page is behind a login or a download: the exact answer is at the top, and the detail below it is there for when you need it. That is the whole promise here — the answer first, and just enough context to make it stick. Here is the takeaway for “int formula in excel”: copy the answer if you are busy, but if you have a spare few minutes, rebuild the example in Excel yourself with the tool above open beside it. That single pass — type it, run it, watch the result move when you change an input — is what turns a formula you found into a technique you trust. Keep your inputs labelled and referenced, never hard-coded, and the same sheet stays correct and auditable as it grows. Done that way, you will not need to look this up again, and you will be the person others ask.
Common mistakes
- Using INT on negative numbers expecting truncation — it rounds down, so -7.1 becomes -8, not -7.
- Reaching for INT when a specific decimal precision is needed; INT has no digits argument, so use
ROUNDor TRUNC. - Using INT to strip a time from a date and leaving the cell formatted as General, which then shows a serial number.
Frequently asked questions
Does INT round or truncate?
It rounds down to the next lower integer. For positive values that looks like truncation; for negatives it does not.
How do I split a number into whole units and a remainder?
Use INT for the units and MOD for the remainder: =INT(A2/12) and =MOD(A2, 12) together account for the whole value.
Can INT keep decimal places?
No — it always returns a whole number. Use ROUND, ROUNDDOWN or TRUNC when you need a set number of decimals.