OR

What does this function do?

The OR function checks whether any of the provided conditions are TRUE. Returns TRUE if at least one condition is met, FALSE if all conditions are FALSE.

This function is essential for creating complex logical tests where multiple possible conditions can lead to the same outcome.

Formatting

The result is a logical value (TRUE or FALSE). The function can handle:

• Numbers and calculations returning numbers
• Logical expressions (TRUE, FALSE) and calculations returning them
• Cell references containing these values
• Cell ranges where at least one cell contains numbers or logical values
• Arrays of values or calculations

Text values and empty cells in ranges are ignored. The function returns an error if all inputs are text/empty or if errors are present in the values.

Syntax

=OR(logical1, [logical2], ...)

Arguments:

• logical1 — required. First condition that can evaluate to TRUE or FALSE
• logical2 — optional. Additional conditions (up to 255 total)
• Conditions can include:
  • Comparison operators: =, >, <, <>, >=, <=
  • References to cells containing logical values
  • Other functions that return logical values
  • Arrays of conditions

Examples

Triple-click on the formula will select it entirely for copying.

Features

• Evaluates all conditions even if first condition is TRUE (unlike some programming languages)
• Can be nested with other logical functions for complex decision making
• Often used within IF functions to create multiple condition scenarios
• Accepts array constants for multiple value comparisons
• Useful for data validation, conditional formatting, and complex business rules

Advanced Examples

Acronym Detection

Detect if a word consists only of vowels or only of consonants (common in acronyms):

=OR(
  NOT(OR(ISNUMBER(SEARCH({"a","e","i","o","u","y"}, A1)))),
  NOT(OR(ISNUMBER(SEARCH({"b","c","d","f","g","h","j","k","l","m","n","p","q","r","s","t","v","w","x","z"}, A1))))
)

Grade Check

Check if student has any failing grades (F or F+) in their record:

=OR(A1:A5="F", A1:A5="F+")

OR Symbol in Excel

The mathematical disjunction symbol “∪” can be displayed using:

=UNICHAR(8746)

This is for display purposes only and cannot be used in formulas.

Other Logical functions in Excel

IF, AND, NOT, TRUE, FALSE, IFERROR, IFS, SWITCH, XOR

This post is also available in RU.