Leftwards Arrow From Bar
Block: Arrows
- Symbol
- ↤
- Unicode
U+21A4- Unicode name
- LEFTWARDS ARROW FROM BAR
- Block
- Arrows
- Category
- Symbol, Other
- Type
- Unicode symbol
Leftwards Arrow From Bar (↤) is encoded as U+21A4 and has the formal Unicode name LEFTWARDS ARROW FROM BAR. Unicode classifies it as Symbol, Other in the Arrows block. Its name places it in the arrow/directional family, which gives the page a narrower identity than the glyph alone. Separately encoded named neighbors include ↦ Rightwards Arrow From Bar (U+21A6); those records should be compared by name and code point rather than merged because their shapes or terminology are related.
Unicode Identity First, Local Meaning Second
↤ is encoded as U+21A4 and classified as Symbol, Other. Its formal name narrows it to the arrow/directional family rather than leaving the mark as an unidentified shape.
The Unicode identity and the surrounding document answer different questions: the code point tells you which character is present, while the surrounding formula, interface, document, or notation system determines the local interpretation. Keeping those layers separate prevents a visual guess from being treated as a character definition.
Need to identify another character? Use what does ↤ mean? with the symbol itself, its Unicode value, or a description of how it looks.
Do Not Collapse Leftwards Arrow From Bar Into Nearby Named Variants
Unicode stores ↤ as U+21A4, while nearby records include ↦ Rightwards Arrow From Bar (U+21A6). These are separate encoded identities, not alternate font drawings of one character.
The comparison is useful because a shared word in the name, a mirrored direction, or a similar outline can make two symbols appear interchangeable. When the distinction matters, compare the complete Unicode name and code point before replacing one record with another.
Encoding ↤ in HTML and Source Text
U+21A4 = decimal 8612 = HTML ↤ / ↤. A Unicode escape-style form is u21A4. Its UTF-8 bytes are E2 86 A4.
Use these identifiers in markup, source code, exports, or character diagnostics when the glyph alone is not enough.