Less Than or Greater Than ≶

Semantic identity and intent

Characters to distinguish

• = — Equals Sign
• ≠ — Not Equal To
• < — Less Than

Use ≶ in the right format

Meaning and usage

Expresses the mathematical relation “less than or greater than” between two objects or quantities.

Use ≶ only when the relation is defined for the objects being compared. For Less Than or Greater Than (≶), similar-looking relations can differ in algebra, order theory, geometry, and asymptotic analysis.

Pronunciation: less than or greater than

Formula examples

How to type Less Than or Greater Than

Windows

Use Character Map or enter U+2276 in a Unicode-aware application.

macOS

Open Character Viewer with Control–Command–Space and search by the symbol name.

Microsoft Word

In an equation, type \lessgtr and press Space when Word supports the command.

iPhone and iPad

Copy and paste ≶, or use a math/LaTeX app. The standard iOS keyboard may not expose every mathematical symbol.

Android

Copy and paste ≶, or use a math keyboard or LaTeX editor. Keyboard layouts vary by device and app.

Google Docs

For plain text, paste ≶ or use Insert → Special characters. For structured math, use the equation editor and verify \lessgtr.

Excel

Paste ≶ into a cell or use Insert → Symbol when available. Ordinary cells preserve the character but do not interpret LaTeX commands.

Common mistakes

• Preserve grouping, operator order, and spacing around ≶; Use ≶ only when the relation is defined for the objects being compared. For Less Than or Greater Than (≶), similar-looking relations can differ in algebra, order theory, geometry, and asymptotic analysis.
• For plain text, copy ≶ as U+2276; for structured equations, use \lessgtr in math mode. A look-alike glyph or image can break search, accessibility, or parsing when the intended character is Less Than or Greater Than.

When to use ≶

• Use ≶ in plain text when a Unicode character is appropriate and the destination preserves U+2276.
• Use \lessgtr in an equation editor when mathematical spacing or structure matters.
• Define the local meaning when Less Than or Greater Than is used in comparison, optimization with a field-specific convention.

Look-alikes and related characters

• = — Equals Sign
• ≠ — Not Equal To
• < — Less Than

Font and compatibility notes

Glyph shape can vary by font. Verify the code point after copying, and prefer LaTeX or MathML for structured equations.

Review and source notes

Quality tier: core

Last reviewed: 2026-07-26

Review method: Checked Less Than or Greater Than against its Unicode identity, LaTeX representation, HTML serialization, MathML token, and copy-and-paste behavior.

Verified against: Unicode Standard, Unicode mathematical notation guidance, and established LaTeX/MathML syntax.

Reference sources

• The Unicode StandardUnicode Consortium — Character identity, encoding, names, and conformance.
• Unicode Character Code ChartsUnicode Consortium — Code points and official character charts.
• Unicode Technical Report #25: Unicode Support for MathematicsUnicode Consortium — Mathematical character usage, variants, and notation support.
• LaTeX Project DocumentationThe LaTeX Project — LaTeX syntax, authoring model, and official documentation links.
• MathML CoreW3C — Semantic web mathematics elements and browser behavior.

Frequently asked questions