Is UMINUS the same as using a minus sign before a number?

Functionally yes. UMINUS(500) and -500 return identical results. However, UMINUS is useful when you need function form rather than an operator—such as in formula templates, dynamic calculations, or when building complex formulas with MAP or REDUCE.

Can UMINUS work on an entire column or range at once?

Yes. UMINUS applies to each row when used in a column. For a range like C2:C5, use =ARRAYFORMULA(UMINUS(C2:C5)) to negate all values in one formula instead of copying down.

Why use UMINUS instead of multiplying by -1?

Both work identically for negation. UMINUS is more concise and semantically clearer (you're explicitly reversing sign, not multiplying), making formulas easier to read. Use -1 multiplication only if you need Excel compatibility or have a specific reason to avoid function form.

What if my spend values are stored as text, like "500"?

UMINUS will return a #VALUE! error. Convert text to numbers first using VALUE(): =UMINUS(VALUE(C2)). Alternatively, ensure your data is formatted as numbers before applying UMINUS.

UMINUS function

Returns the negative of a number, converting positive values to negative and vice versa; use it for accounting entries or reversing numeric signs.

=UMINUS(value)

Generate a UMINUS formula

Describe what you need. The generator will reach for UMINUS where UMINUS is the right tool, and tell you when it is not.

Arguments

How UMINUS reads its arguments

Argument	Required	Description
value	Required	A required numeric value. If non-numeric (text, error, or array), UMINUS returns #VALUE! or #N/A error.

Returns

A numeric value with the opposite sign of the input.

Availability

Excel: Not available · Google Sheets: Supported

Worked examples

1. Record campaign spend as accounting expense

Campaign	Channel	Spend	Clicks	Conversions
Campaign A	Email	500	250	50
Campaign B	Social	1200	800	120
Campaign C	Search	2000	1500	300

=UMINUS(C2)

Result: -500

Campaign A spent $500. In accounting systems, expenses are recorded as negative values to represent money flowing out. UMINUS(500) converts the spend amount to -500 for the accounting ledger.

2. Reverse a calculated profit for expense entry

Campaign	Channel	Spend	Clicks	Conversions
Campaign A	Email	500	250	50
Campaign B	Social	1200	800	120
Campaign C	Search	2000	1500	300

=UMINUS((E2*25)-C2)

Result: -1800

Campaign B generated 120 conversions at $25 revenue each (3000 total) minus $1200 spend = $1800 profit. UMINUS converts this to -1800 to record profit as a negative adjustment in double-entry accounting, reducing the net expense balance.

3. Reverse a negative performance variance

Campaign	Channel	Spend	Clicks	Conversions
Campaign A	Email	500	250	50
Campaign B	Social	1200	800	120
Campaign C	Search	2000	1500	300

=UMINUS(E2-E4)

Result: 250

Campaign A achieved 50 conversions while Campaign C achieved 300, a difference of 50-300=-250. UMINUS reverses the negative variance to 250, showing the performance gap as a positive number that represents Campaign A's conversion deficit versus Campaign C.

Common errors

Which UMINUS error are you seeing?

Error	Why it happens	How to fix it
#VALUE!	The value argument contains text or a non-numeric data type, such as =UMINUS("Email") when pointing to a channel name instead of a number.	Ensure the input references a cell or value containing only numbers. Use VALUE() function first if converting text numbers: =UMINUS(VALUE(text_cell)).
#N/A	The value argument references a blank cell, an error value, or a missing lookup result, such as =UMINUS(A10) when A10 is empty.	Check that the referenced cell contains a number. Use IFERROR or IFNA to provide a default: =IFERROR(UMINUS(A10), 0).
#REF!	The value argument references a deleted column or row, such as when a column is removed after the formula was created.	Update the formula to reference a valid cell that still exists, or restore the deleted data.

Tips and when to use something else

UMINUS(value) and -value produce identical results. Use whichever reads more clearly in your formula; UMINUS is useful when function form is required for dynamic formulas or templates.
For column-wide negation, UMINUS applies row by row. Combine with ARRAYFORMULA to apply across ranges efficiently: =ARRAYFORMULA(UMINUS(C2:C4)).
In systems that require compatibility with Excel (which doesn't support UMINUS), use MULTIPLY(value, -1) or MINUS(0, value) as an alternative.
If you need to negate only positive values and keep negatives unchanged, use IF: =IF(A2>0, UMINUS(A2), A2) instead of UMINUS unconditionally.

Related functions

UPLUSUPLUS coerces its argument to a number, converting text-formatted numbers and other numeric values to true numeric format.MINUSSubtracts the second number from the first number and returns the resulting difference, commonly used to find gaps between values.MULTIPLYMULTIPLY returns the product of two numbers, commonly used to calculate total inventory value, costs, or other scalar quantities in spreadsheets.MAPMAP applies a custom LAMBDA to each element of a range, returning a new array of the same shape with the calculated results.IFSIFS evaluates multiple logical tests in order and returns the first matching value, letting you replace nested IFs with a single readable formula.

Frequently asked questions

Is UMINUS the same as using a minus sign before a number?: Functionally yes. UMINUS(500) and -500 return identical results. However, UMINUS is useful when you need function form rather than an operator—such as in formula templates, dynamic calculations, or when building complex formulas with MAP or REDUCE.
Can UMINUS work on an entire column or range at once?: Yes. UMINUS applies to each row when used in a column. For a range like C2:C5, use =ARRAYFORMULA(UMINUS(C2:C5)) to negate all values in one formula instead of copying down.
Why use UMINUS instead of multiplying by -1?: Both work identically for negation. UMINUS is more concise and semantically clearer (you're explicitly reversing sign, not multiplying), making formulas easier to read. Use -1 multiplication only if you need Excel compatibility or have a specific reason to avoid function form.
What if my spend values are stored as text, like "500"?: UMINUS will return a #VALUE! error. Convert text to numbers first using VALUE(): =UMINUS(VALUE(C2)). Alternatively, ensure your data is formatted as numbers before applying UMINUS.

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Reviewed 2026-09-17