Less-Than Sign
Block: Basic Latin
- Symbol
- <
- Unicode
U+003C- Unicode name
- LESS-THAN SIGN
- Block
- Basic Latin
- Script
- Common
- Category
- Symbol, Math
- Type
- Unicode symbol
Less-Than Sign ( Greater-Than Sign (U+003E).
What the formal name says about Less-Than Sign
< belongs to an inequality or ordering relation family; directional and negation wording in the Unicode name determines the specific encoded relation.
The full Unicode name is the safe automatic description of this mathematical relation; unsupported domain-specific meanings still require reviewed evidence.
If this is not the character you meant, use what is this < symbol? to identify the mark from pasted text, Unicode, or its visual shape.
Encoding < in HTML and Source Text
U+003C = decimal 60 = HTML < / <. A Unicode escape-style form is u003C. Its UTF-8 bytes are 3C.
Use these identifiers in markup, source code, exports, or character diagnostics when the glyph alone is not enough.
Why U+003C and U+003E remain separate characters
< (U+003C) and > (U+003E) are separate Unicode records whose formal names identify different members of the same mathematical family.
For U+003C, compare the complete formal name before substituting another family member.
Related characters that can be confused with <
Characters recorded as related to < include ‹ Single Left-Pointing Angle Quotation Mark (U+2039) and ⟨ Mathematical Left Angle Bracket (U+27E8). The relationship is a reason to compare exact identities, not evidence that the code points can be substituted.
Use the formal names to determine which operator or relation the text contains before editing a look-alike symbol.