What is the syntax for ABS in Excel?

The syntax for ABS is: =ABS(number)

What are common errors with ABS?

Returns positive value regardless of input sign

What is ABS function used for?

ABS returns the absolute (positive) value of a number. -5 becomes 5, 5 stays 5. Common uses: calculating distances/differences regardless of direction, comparing values with tolerance, and ensuring positive results.

How do I calculate the difference between two numbers?

Use =ABS(A1-B1) to get the positive difference regardless of which is larger. This avoids negative results when B1>A1.

How do I compare floating-point numbers with ABS?

Due to floating-point precision, use tolerance: =IF(ABS(A1-B1)<0.0001, "Equal", "Different"). This handles tiny differences from calculations that should be equal.

Can ABS work with complex numbers?

No, ABS only works with real numbers. For complex numbers, use IMABS: =IMABS(COMPLEX(3,4)) returns 5 (the magnitude of 3+4i).

What is the difference between ABS and SIGN?

ABS returns the magnitude (always positive). SIGN returns the sign: -1 for negative, 0 for zero, 1 for positive. To reconstruct: number = ABS(number) * SIGN(number).

Math & Trig

ABS Function in Excel

Q: What is the ABS function in Excel?

Returns the absolute value of a number (the number without its sign).

Q: Can ABS work with complex numbers?

No, ABS only works with real numbers. For complex numbers, use IMABS: =IMABS(COMPLEX(3,4)) returns 5 (the magnitude of 3+4i).

Q: What is the difference between ABS and SIGN?

ABS returns the magnitude (always positive). SIGN returns the sign: -1 for negative, 0 for zero, 1 for positive. To reconstruct: number = ABS(number) * SIGN(number).

Returns the absolute value of a number (the number without its sign).

Syntax

=ABS(number)

Arguments

number (required): The number to get absolute value of

Examples

=ABS(-5) - Absolute value of -5 - Result: 5
=ABS(A1-B1) - Absolute difference between two values - Result: Positive difference
=IF(ABS(A1-B1)<0.01, "Equal", "Different") - Compare with tolerance - Result: Comparison result

Excel ABS function documentation

ABS returns the absolute value of a number — the magnitude without the sign. =ABS(-5) is 5 and =ABS(5) is 5.
Syntax is =ABS(number). The argument can be a literal, a cell, or a formula such as a difference between two cells.
Use ABS when the direction of a change does not matter: forecast error, budget variance, or the gap between two prices.
ABS works on real numbers only. For complex numbers use IMABS. Related: [SIGN](/functions/sign/), [ROUND](/functions/round/), [IF](/functions/if/).

Step-by-step: absolute difference and tolerance

Step 1 — Subtract the two values, for example actual minus budget in C2: =A2-B2. The sign shows over or under.
Step 2 — Wrap the difference: =ABS(A2-B2) when a report should show the size of the gap only.
Step 3 — Compare floats with a tolerance: =IF(ABS(A2-B2)<0.01,"Match","Review"). Tiny leftovers from division should not look like real gaps.
Step 4 — Keep the signed variance in a helper column when stakeholders still need to know which side missed the target.

ABS patterns to copy

Forecast error magnitude: =ABS(Actual-Forecast). Average those values for mean absolute error.
Closest match: =MIN(ABS(target-range)) finds the smallest gap; combine with MATCH on a helper column of absolute gaps.
Percentage points: =ABS(new_rate-old_rate) when you report how far a rate moved, not whether it rose or fell.
ABS does not remove #DIV/0! or #N/A. Fix the source formula first, then take the absolute value of a numeric result.

Common errors

Returns positive value regardless of input sign

Use cases

Distance calculations
Variance analysis
Error tolerance checks

Frequently asked questions

What is ABS function used for? ABS returns the absolute (positive) value of a number. -5 becomes 5, 5 stays 5. Common uses: calculating distances/differences regardless of direction, comparing values with tolerance, and ensuring positive results.
How do I calculate the difference between two numbers? Use =ABS(A1-B1) to get the positive difference regardless of which is larger. This avoids negative results when B1>A1.
How do I compare floating-point numbers with ABS? Due to floating-point precision, use tolerance: =IF(ABS(A1-B1)<0.0001, "Equal", "Different"). This handles tiny differences from calculations that should be equal.
Can ABS work with complex numbers? No, ABS only works with real numbers. For complex numbers, use IMABS: =IMABS(COMPLEX(3,4)) returns 5 (the magnitude of 3+4i).
What is the difference between ABS and SIGN? ABS returns the magnitude (always positive). SIGN returns the sign: -1 for negative, 0 for zero, 1 for positive. To reconstruct: number = ABS(number) * SIGN(number).

Editorial review

Reviewed by Excel.Directory Editorial Team. Updated May 2026.