What does the CONCATENATE function do in Excel?

The CONCATENATE function in Excel is specifically designed to join two or more text strings into a single text string. This function allows users to combine different pieces of data, which can include text from cells, words enclosed in quotes, or even numbers, all into one cohesive string. This capability is particularly useful when you want to create full sentences or to format text in a particular way by combining various elements.

The function can take multiple arguments, enabling you to concatenate a variety of text inputs at once. For example, if you have a cell containing a first name and another cell containing a last name, using CONCATENATE allows you to merge these into a complete name in one cell.

While the other options describe different functionalities within Excel, they do not pertain to the primary purpose of the CONCATENATE function, which is focused solely on merging text elements.