[discrete]
[[esql-date_trunc]]
=== `DATE_TRUNC`
Rounds down a date to the closest interval. Intervals can be expressed using the
<<esql-timespan-literals,timespan literal syntax>>.

[source,esql]
----
FROM employees
| EVAL year_hired = DATE_TRUNC(1 year, hire_date)
| STATS count(emp_no) BY year_hired
| SORT year_hired
----