What CONCATENATE does
CONCATENATE joins separate text fragments into one text string. It can combine text literals, cell references, numbers, and formatted values into a single output.
Microsoft now recommends CONCAT, but CONCATENATE still appears in older workbooks and remains relevant when you are maintaining legacy files.
Practical examples
Join two cells with punctuation
=CONCATENATE(B2,", ",C2)
If B2 contains Jun 30 and C2 contains 2010, the result is Jun 30, 2010.
Build the same result with the ampersand operator
=B2 & ", " & C2
This alternative is shorter, but the output type is still text.
Common mistakes and notes
The result is always text
Even when the pieces look like dates or numbers, the final output is a text string unless you convert it afterward.
CONCAT is the modern replacement
In newer Excel versions, CONCAT is the preferred function for new formulas, but CONCATENATE still matters for compatibility with older content.