INT: Returns the greatest integer that is less than or equal to its numeric input. For negative values, INT becomes more negative when the input has a fractional part: =INT(-3.74) is -4, not -3.

Official syntax: INT(num-to-round) — Apple’s INT reference (current English Functions Help 15.4, accessed October 11, 2026). This guide describes the documented behavior, not an observation from an Apple Numbers application session.

Use INT when you need a mathematical floor, such as grouping signed measurements into integer-width bins or finding the integer below a temperature reading. It is not a universal way to remove decimal digits from negative values.

Numbers stores numeric cell values separately from how many decimal places are shown. When a formula actually rounds or truncates a number, downstream arithmetic uses the formula result; changing display formatting alone does not change the underlying numeric value. In particular, distinguish negative inputs from positive values before choosing a rounding rule.

=INT(num-to-round)

INT has one required argument and no second digits argument. In a comma-decimal locale, this one-argument formula itself is unchanged. Apple’s English documentation uses a comma between function arguments and a decimal point for numbers such as 3.74. Numbers’ localized argument separator can change: Apple’s Functions overview says use semicolons between arguments when the decimal separator is a comma. Translate both your decimal notation and argument separator for your locale instead of pasting an English formula unchanged.

Official behavior worth checking: Apple’s examples include INT(-2.2) → -3 and INT(1.50) → 1, making the negative-value distinction explicit.

Create an Apple Numbers table named Rounding Lab. Set row 1 as a header row. Enter the inputs below as numeric values, not numeric-looking text. Use these headings: A = Case, B = Input, C = Digits, D = Result. Columns A and C are descriptive/argument fields; you do not type the formula text in the same cell as the input.

For INT, column B contains input numbers; column C will contain =INT(B2). The digits column used by the other rounding functions is irrelevant to INT.

Copy the first formula in D2 down through D9, allowing relative row references to adjust. For the INT case, use =INT(B2) through =INT(B9) and ignore column C. For each other function, use =INT(B2,C2) through =INT(B9,C9).

Validation disclosure: Each expected value above was independently computed with Python’s decimal.Decimal fixed-point arithmetic and an explicit directional rounding rule. Those are mathematically expected outputs, not native Numbers outputs; automatic type conversion, locale interpretation and imported values still require testing in Numbers. A value shown as 13 could be formatted as 13.00 without changing the underlying number.

=INT(-3.74) gives -4, whereas =TRUNC(-3.74) and =ROUNDDOWN(-3.74,0) give -3. They agree for positive input such as 3.74, but this agreement does not extend to negative fractional values.

The four distinct operations matter when results cross zero. INT uses floor (toward negative infinity); ROUNDUP means away from zero, ROUNDDOWN means toward zero, and TRUNC discards digit positions toward zero. The last two give the same numeric outputs for the ordinary examples in this guide, but one must still respect their specific documented argument requirements. For side-by-side Apple context consult the official rounding-functions comparison.

Group measurements into floor-based intervals

For an instrument reading of -2.25 in B12, use =INT(B12) to obtain -3. The corresponding unit-wide interval starts at -3 and ends just before -2. Positive 2.25 falls in the interval starting at 2. This behavior is useful for signed coordinate bins because the result is always less than or equal to the input.

Get the fractional part relative to the floor

For a numeric value in B13, calculate =B13-INT(B13). With B13 set to -2.25, the expected result is 0.75 (because -2.25 - (-3) = 0.75). This differs from merely deleting decimal digits; if you need a signed remainder, decide whether this convention is appropriate before using it.

Use a cross-table source without moving data

If the input is stored in a Numbers table named Readings, you can select that cell in the formula editor and use a qualified reference such as =INT(Readings::B2). Do not assume a plain B2 reference points to the right table when a workbook contains several tables.

• Negative reading appears one lower than expected: INT(-0.1) is -1, because -1 is the greatest integer not exceeding -0.1. Use TRUNC if your intent is to discard digits toward zero.
• The result is an integer but your cell displays decimals: cell formatting is separate from INT’s numeric result.
• Need fixed decimal places: INT accepts one numeric argument only. Use ROUNDUP, ROUNDDOWN, or TRUNC for explicit digit positions.
• Need a mathematical ceiling rather than a floor: INT by itself does not round up; for a dedicated ceiling operation, consult Apple’s CEILING documentation and verify the chosen factor.
• Unrecognized syntax or wrong result: confirm the formula begins with =, the correct number of arguments was entered, and B2 contains a number rather than text that happens to look numeric. Use the formula editor to confirm the argument separators for your locale.
• The cell reference comes from another table: Apple’s reference style may require a qualified address such as Rounding Lab::B2 (or a sheet-qualified form). Selecting the referenced cell via the formula editor is preferable to manually guessing punctuation.
• Floating-point and extreme-value edge cases: this guide has not exercised the actual Apple Numbers numeric engine. Do not infer exact treatment of values near its precision limits, nonnumeric operands, very large digit counts, or other undocumented coercion rules from the ordinary examples.
• No platform test: native Numbers on Mac, iPad/iPhone, and web/iCloud versions were not tested. The Apple Functions Help 15.4 documentation edition does not establish the first product release in which each function was available.

For debugging, isolate the smallest failing call and compare its input types and argument count to Apple’s value types and the exact function page before adding nested formulas.

A same-table formula refers to B2; a different table may need Rounding Lab::B2; other-sheet references can include the sheet and table using ::, as documented in Apple’s cell-reference guide. Relative references move when copied downward; absolute references require explicit locking in the formula editor.

Cell format controls visible decimal places, thousands separators and decimal symbols, not the logical definition of rounding. For examples using a decimal comma, enter 3,74 as a localized numeric input and use a semicolon to separate multiple function arguments. Re-check converted formulas after CSV imports or workbook transfers. The examples were checked against documentation, not rendered on each locale/platform.

Microsoft Excel documents a function named INT in its official function reference. Google Sheets lists corresponding functions in its official functions list. Similar names do not prove identical coercion, text-input recognition, locale delimiters, precision, or error handling. Transfer the test data above to the target application and independently inspect results before using it for business or regulated calculations.

• ROUNDUP: Apple Functions Help — Rounds a numeric value away from zero at the requested precision. For example, `=ROUNDUP(-3.74,0.
• ROUNDDOWN: Apple Functions Help — Rounds toward zero, retaining only the specified decimal places. With zero digits, `=ROUNDDOWN(-.
• TRUNC: Apple Functions Help — Discards digit positions beyond the requested precision toward zero. =TRUNC(-3.74) gives *-3.
• Apple numeric argument/value types — argument-type distinctions.
• Apple functions overview — formula syntax and localized separator behavior.

These are official external help links, links to official vendor documentation.

• Apple Numbers — function documentation
• Apple’s Functions overview
• official rounding-functions comparison
• Apple’s value types
• Apple’s cell-reference guide
• ROUNDUP: Apple Functions Help
• ROUNDDOWN: Apple Functions Help

Verification status: Official documentation checked; example outcomes were independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where applicable. Not executed in Apple Numbers.

• No genuine Apple Numbers screenshots are included; this guide does not use mock application images.