Logical

FALSE Formula

FALSE() returns the logical value FALSE. Like TRUE(), it is mainly used for clarity in complex formulas or when building formulas programmatically. In arithmetic operations, FALSE is treated as 0.

Syntax

FALSE()
ParameterDescription
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Examples

Explicit logical constant

Formula
=IF(A1="", FALSE(), A1>0)
Returns FALSE for blank cells, otherwise checks if A1 is positive. Makes the empty-cell case explicit.

Suppress match in SUMPRODUCT

Formula
=SUMPRODUCT((A1:A100="Widget")*1, B1:B100)
FALSE values from the comparison become 0 when multiplied, effectively filtering out non-matching rows in the sum.

Common Errors

#NAME?

Occurs if the function name is misspelled. FALSE() takes no arguments.

Tips

Arithmetic value is 0

FALSE equals 0 in math. =FALSE()+1 returns 1. This is why multiplying a logical array by 1 converts TRUE/FALSE to 1/0.

Use in data validation

Return FALSE from a custom validation formula to reject the entry. Spreadsheets treat FALSE as "validation failed."

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