ABS function

This article describes the formula syntax and usage of the ABS function in Microsoft Excel.

Description

Returns the absolute value of a number. The absolute value of a number is the number without its sign.

Syntax

ABS(number)

The ABS function syntax has the following arguments:

• Number    Required. The real number of which you want the absolute value.

Example

Copy the table below, and paste into cell A1 in Excel. You may need to select any cells that contain formulas and press F2 and then Enter to make the formulas work. You may also want to make the columns wider to make your worksheet easier to read.

Data
-4
Formula	Description	Result
=ABS(2)	Absolute value of 2	2
=ABS(-2)	Absolute value of -2	2
=ABS(A2)	Absolute value of -4	4

See Also

Subtract numbers

Multiply numbers

Calculate percentages