Microsoft PowerPoint Glossary from A to Z — Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint Glossary — 123 definitions

All the terms defined in the 28 sections of the guide, listed in alphabetical order.
Tip: press Ctrl + F to search for a term on this page.

.potx: The template format: opening it creates a new presentation based on it (covered in level 2).
.ppsx: Self-running slideshow: double-click = instant projection, without going through the editor.
.pptx: The standard working format of PowerPoint presentations.
Hook: The first 30 seconds: an unexpected figure, a question, a short story — attention is won there.
AutoFit: PowerPoint shrinks overflowing text: a warning signal! If the text shrinks, there is too much of it.
Align / Distribute: Format → Align: edges aligned and spacing calculated to the pixel — never "by eye".
Preview: The Preview button (or Shift + F5): test the sequence without starting the whole slideshow.
Next-slide preview: The cockpit shows the UPCOMING slide: your spoken transitions become natural.
Call to action: The last slide states what is expected of the audience: decide, approve, try — never "Thank you for your attention" alone.
Mobile app: PowerPoint for iOS/Android: touch-ups, rehearsal and even presenting from your phone.
Apply to All: The button that spreads the transition and its duration across the whole presentation — the consistency tool.
Zoom background: "Zoom Background" option: the thumbnail blends into the décor (frameless) for elegant menus.
!! trick: Renaming two different objects with the same name starting with !! (Selection pane) forces Morph to transform one into the other.
Built-in image library: Insert → Pictures → "Stock images": royalty-free photos, icons and illustrations, right inside PowerPoint.
Loop continuously: In kiosk mode, the end loops back to the start automatically — the screen never "falls" back to the desktop.
Action button: Shapes → Action Buttons (end of gallery): home, back, next — with the action attached on insert.
E-learning capsule: Short format (3–7 min) of an educational video — the natural outcome of PowerPoint narration.
Certiport / GMetrix: The exam body and its official practice platform (mock tests under real conditions).
Brand guidelines: The organization's visual rules (colors, logos, fonts) that the template puts into practice.
Cockpit timer: Presenter View shows elapsed time and clock: your live time management.
Co-authoring: Simultaneous editing of a .pptx stored in the cloud: colleagues' cursors and selections are visible live.
Paste Link from Excel: Paste Special → Paste Link: the chart updates when the source Excel file changes.
Comments + @mention: Pin a remark to a slide or object; @FirstName notifies the person by e-mail.
Compress media: File → Info → Compress Media: drastically reduces the weight of files with videos.
Designer: The layout-suggestion engine: with each added content, it offers professional designs (pane on the right).
Contrast: Sufficient text/background brightness ratio: dark on light or light on dark — checkable with the "back-of-the-room test".
Convert to SmartArt: Right-click a list → Convert to SmartArt: the list becomes a visual diagram (process, cycle…).
Color + shape: Never encode information by color alone (red/green): double it with an icon, a pattern or a label.
Theme colors: The central palette (Design → Variants → Colors): every object "follows" these colors — changing them redresses everything.
Ctrl + M / Ctrl + D: New slide (with the current layout) / duplicate the selected slide.
Trigger: Animations → Trigger → "On Click of": the animation plays only when the designated object is clicked.
Automatic advance: Transitions → uncheck "Manually", check "After: x s" → Apply to All: each slide advances on its own.
Start: On Click / With / After Previous: The trigger of each effect: on your click, at the same time as the previous one, or right after it.
Move a section: Right-click the section title → Move Section Up/Down: the whole block follows.
Slideshow: Full-screen projection mode (F5): what your audience sees.
Slide: One "screen" of the presentation. The golden rule: one idea per slide.
Assertion slide: A message-title ("Remote work cut absenteeism by 12%") + visual proof: the most impactful format.
Layout: A slide template: Title, Title and Content, Two Content, Blank… Each layout defines placeholders.
Master layouts: The thumbnails below: each layout customizable individually (inherits from the main one by default).
Duration: The time of the effect: 0.3–0.7 s to stay smooth. Beyond one second, the audience waits.
Control screen (Presenter View): Speaker-side enriched preview — covered in 3.5; here, remember it can be practiced with Alt + F5 without a second screen.
Record slideshow: Slide Show → Record: the studio captures voice, webcam (optional), ink and timings, slide by slide.
White space: The emptiness around elements: it airs out, groups and highlights. Filling it is the reflex to unlearn.
Placeholder (in the master): The zones you position in the master become the pre-fillable zones of the slides.
Placeholder: A pre-positioned zone of a layout (title, text, picture): fill it in rather than adding floating text boxes.
Data labels: Values shown on bars/points: often more readable than an axis when projected.
Export to PDF: File → Export: the frozen handout to share after the meeting (no animations).
Export to video: File → Export → Create a Video: resolution (1080p recommended) + "Use Recorded Timings and Narrations".
F5 / Shift + F5: Start the slideshow from the beginning / from the current slide.
Effect families: Entrance (green), Emphasis (yellow), Exit (red), Motion Paths: each object can combine several.
SmartArt families: List, Process (steps), Cycle (loop), Hierarchy (org chart), Relationship (contrast/balance), Pyramid (levels).
Close Master View: The red button of the Master tab: back to normal editing — your changes apply everywhere.
Native chart: Insert → Chart: PowerPoint opens a mini datasheet to fill in. The chart follows the theme.
Group (Ctrl + G): Weld several objects into a single movable/resizable block. Ctrl + Shift + G ungroups.
Smart guides: The red dotted lines that appear while dragging: they signal alignments and centers.
Visual hierarchy: The eye must know where to look first: ONE dominant element per slide (size, color, position).
Version history: File → Info → Version History: restore the state from before the "accident".
Embed fonts: Save option (File → Options → Save) that packs your fonts into the file — insurance against "replaced fonts".
Insert a video: Insert → Video: from your PC (embedded in the file) or online (YouTube — needs Internet during the session!).
Line spacing: Home → Line Spacing: 1.2 to 1.5 airs out lists — more readable from afar.
The Morph recipe: Duplicate (Ctrl + D) → edit the copy (move/enlarge/rotate) → Transitions → Morph on the copy.
The right chart: Bars = comparison, line = trend, pie = share (≤ 5 slices) — as in the Excel guide.
Sharing link: Share button: permissions (edit/view) × scope (chosen people/organization). Always check before sending.
Internal link: Ctrl + K → "Place in This Document": the clicked text/object jumps to the chosen slide.
Play in background: Audio preset: the music starts on its own and continues across all following slides.
Slide master: View → Slide Master: the "mold" every slide inherits from. Edit the master = edit the whole presentation.
Main master: The large thumbnail at the top of the pane: its settings (fonts, background, logo) propagate to all layouts.
Hide a slide: Right-click → Hide: it stays in the file but is skipped in projection — handy for variants.
Message first (pyramid): State the conclusion up front, then prove it — the preferred structure of busy executives.
Microsoft 365: Subscription including full PowerPoint, always up to date, on PC/Mac/tablet/mobile + 1 TB OneDrive.
Kiosk mode (Browsed at a kiosk): Slide Show → Set Up Slide Show → "Browsed at a kiosk": only clicks on links navigate (no plain-click advance).
Slideshow / Reading mode: Full-screen projection (F5) / in-window projection (to test without leaving your screen).
Kiosk mode: Slide Show → Set Up Slide Show → "Browsed at a kiosk": endless loop, keyboard/click neutralized (except links).
Presenter View: Dual display: cockpit for you, slide for the room. Activates automatically with two screens (or Alt + F5 to practice alone).
Slide Sorter mode: View → Slide Sorter: all slides as thumbnails, to reorganize and section at scale.
Custom Office Templates: The special (Documents) folder whose content appears in File → New → Personal.
Morph: Transition that interpolates objects COMMON to two slides: movement, size, rotation, color animated automatically.
MOS PowerPoint Associate: The official certification (MO-300/MO-310 exam depending on version): creation, content, animations, delivery.
Bullet levels: Hierarchy inside a content zone: Tab demotes, Shift + Tab promotes — as in Word.
Speaker notes: The Notes zone under each slide: keywords, exact figures, transitions — visible only in your cockpit.
Number + Enter: Type 12 then Enter during the slideshow: jump straight to slide 12 (print your numbered outline!).
Effect Options: Directional variant of the transition (smooth fade, wipe from the right…).
Playback options: On click / automatically, full screen, loop, hide when not playing — the Playback tab of the selected media.
Reading order: The order in which a screen reader announces a slide's objects: check it in the dedicated pane (via the Checker).
Org chart: Hierarchy SmartArt: positions and reporting lines — the standard tool for simple org charts.
By paragraph: List effect option: bullets appear one by one (instead of the whole block).
Advance slide: Manually (on click) or after a delay: automatic timing is for self-running slideshows (4.5).
Theme fonts: The title/body duo defined by the theme: change it once, all slides follow.
PowerPoint for the web: Free browser version: creation, projection, co-authoring. Some animations and advanced video export missing.
Presentation: The PowerPoint file (.pptx): all the slides, the theme and the notes.
Collapse / expand: Click the triangle of a section: it folds into one line — the outline view of the presentation.
Rule of 3: Three parts, three arguments, three options: the brain remembers in packs of three.
Repetition rule: Same positions, fonts, colors from slide to slide (the master enforces it): consistency reassures.
Reset: Home → Reset: brings moved/reshaped placeholders back to their layout's original position.
Per-slide retake: Each slide carries ITS track: re-record one without touching the others.
Return to Zoom: Thumbnail option (Zoom Format tab): after the visited section, automatic return to the menu slide.
Crop to Shape: Picture Format → Crop → Crop to Shape: the picture takes the silhouette of a circle, an arrow…
Trim video/audio: Playback → Trim: set entry and exit points with no editing software.
Section: Named divider grouping contiguous slides: right-click between two thumbnails → Add Section.
Passing score: 700 out of 1000 — time management is the main difficulty.
SmartArt: Semi-automatic diagram (Insert → SmartArt): you type the content, the shape draws and rearranges itself.
Live subtitles: Slide Show → Always Use Subtitles: your voice is subtitled in real time (language of choice, translated included!).
Storytelling: Structuring a message like a story (situation, tension, resolution) to capture and hold attention.
Pen / highlighter / laser: Ctrl + P (pen), Ctrl + L (laser pointer) or right-click → Pointer Options: annotate and point live.
Table (PowerPoint): Insert → Table: grid with quick styles. When projected: 5–6 rows maximum, font ≥ 18 pt.
Typical tasks: "Apply theme X", "Create a cycle SmartArt", "Set the transition to 2 s", "Hide slide 5"… hands-on tasks.
Alt text: Description of a visual for screen readers: right-click → View Alt Text (or mark as "decorative").
Theme: Colors + fonts + effects + backgrounds set (Design tab). Applies to the WHOLE presentation.
Custom theme (.thmx): Colors + fonts + effects saved alone (Design → gallery → Save Current Theme): also applies to Word and Excel.
Section header: "Divider" layout marking the start of a part — the visual rhythm of a long presentation.
N key (black) / B key (white): Black or white screen during projection: attention returns to the speaker. Any key to resume.
Transition: The effect between two slides (Transitions tab). Applies to the ARRIVAL slide.
Sorter + sections: Sorter mode shows sections as banners: the ideal place to restructure a large presentation.
Variant: Variations of the active theme (alternate colors/backgrounds) offered right of the theme gallery.
Accessibility Checker: Review → Check Accessibility: the ongoing audit of the presentation, with guided fixes.
Rehearse Timings: Slide Show → Rehearse Timings: timed rehearsal slide by slide, with a final report.
Animation Pane: The control panel (Animations → Animation Pane): order, durations, triggers, preview.
Thumbnail pane: The left column: ordered view of slides. Right-click = duplicate, delete, hide; drag = reorder.
Text pane: The bulleted list driving the SmartArt: Enter = new item, Tab = sub-level. The fastest way to fill it.
Notes pane: Under the slide (Notes button): your speaker comments — visible in Presenter View, never on the projected screen.
Text box: Free text box (Insert → Text Box) — reserved for annotations; main content goes into placeholders.
Summary Zoom: Insert → Zoom → Summary Zoom: PowerPoint creates a menu slide with thumbnails of the chosen sections.
Section Zoom / Slide Zoom: A clickable thumbnail placed on any slide, pointing to a specific section or slide.