## Syntax
```mermaid
%%{init: {
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'flowchart': { 'padding': '7', 'nodeSpacing': '20', 'rankSpacing': '20' },
'themeVariables': {
'fontSize': '11px',
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}}%%
flowchart LR
Start((START)) --> DATE_TRUNC[DATE_TRUNC]:::quoted
DATE_TRUNC --> End((END))
```
## Purpose
The `DATE_TRUNC` SQL function returns the truncated value of a `datetime`.
See also [[DATE_CEIL]], [[DATE_FLOOR]] and [[DATE_ROUND]].
Parameters:
- Precision (`varchar2`): one of `millenium`, `century`, `decade`, `year`, `quarter`, `month`, `week`, `day`, `hour`, `minute`, `second`, `milliseconds` and `microseconds`.
- Date/time (`datetime`): the date/time to take truncated of.
Returns: the truncated with the defined precision of the input date/time as `datetime`. The original value is returned when an unlisted precision is specified.
## Examples
The following example retrieves the truncated value of the system time on year basis:
```sql
select date_trunc('year', to_date('19870315', 'YYYYMMDD'))
-------------------
01-01-1987 00:00:00
```