Standing for 'Vertical Lookup,' VLOOKUP is one of the most powerful features in Microsoft Excel. It allows users to pull in a piece of information from a list that is contained in another list by looking for a value in a column and returning a result from a cell in a row where a match appears. This allows you to create relationships between data and lookup tables, search tables/databases, and interactive reports. When examining the formula, the V in VLOOKUP stands for 'vertical,' and 'LOOKUP' applies the function of 'looking up' and extracting data from one table depending on a value. Learning and mastering VLOOKUP is essential for users looking to navigate and use large databases and spreadsheets.