Excel function · Statistics
MAX
Returns the largest number.
What it does
MAX returns the highest value among its arguments. Text and empty cells in a range are ignored.
Syntax
=MAX(number1, [number2], …)Arguments in square brackets are optional, and … means you can add more of the same. In this Excel language, arguments are separated by ,
Arguments
- number
- The first number, cell or range. Add more arguments for other ranges.
Example
What was the highest temperature of the week?
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day | Temp (°C) |
| 2 | Mon | 14 |
| 3 | Tue | 19 |
| 4 | Wed | 17 |
| 5 | Thu | 21 |
| 6 | Fri | 16 |
| 7 | Highest | 21 |
The formula in B7:
=MAX(B2:B6)Result: 21
Of 14, 19, 17, 21 and 16, the largest is 21, measured on Thursday.
Common mistakes
- Expecting to learn which row it came from.
MAXreturns only the value; find its row withXMATCHorMATCH. - Using it when numbers are stored as text. They are skipped, so the result can be too low or 0.
In other Excel languages
Excel translates function names, and in some languages the argument separator too. Type the name your Excel shows.
| Excel language | Function name | Separator |
|---|---|---|
| English | MAX | , |
| Deutsch | MAX | ; |
| Français | MAX | ; |
| Español (España) | MAX | ; |
| Español (México) | MAX | , |
| 日本語 | MAX | , |
| 한국어 | MAX | , |
| 繁體中文 | MAX | , |
| ไทย | MAX | , |
| ខ្មែរ | MAX | , |
| Tiếng Việt | MAX | ; |