Leftwards Double Arrow With Stroke
Block: Arrows
- Symbol
- ⇍
- Unicode
U+21CD- Unicode name
- LEFTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW WITH STROKE
- Block
- Arrows
- Category
- Symbol, Other
- Type
- Unicode symbol
Leftwards Double Arrow With Stroke (⇍) is encoded as U+21CD and has the formal Unicode name LEFTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW WITH STROKE. 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 Double Arrow With Stroke (U+21CF); 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+21CD 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.
When another character is unclear, try what is this symbol (⇍)? to identify it from the character itself, its Unicode value, or its shape.
⇍ and Its Separately Encoded Neighbors
Unicode stores ⇍ as U+21CD, while nearby records include ⇏ Rightwards Double Arrow With Stroke (U+21CF). 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.
Digital Representations of U+21CD
U+21CD = decimal 8653 = HTML ⇍ / ⇍. A Unicode escape-style form is u21CD. Its UTF-8 bytes are E2 87 8D.
Use these identifiers in markup, source code, exports, or character diagnostics when the glyph alone is not enough.