U+2238 · Math symbol
HTML entity
∸
LaTeX
\dotminus
Dot Minus Symbol ∸
∸ is dot minus, U+2238. Unicode also records it as “saturating subtraction”. It was added in Unicode 1.1, and Unicode files it under Math symbol.
Also known as
- saturating subtraction
What Unicode says about ∸
sometimes claimed as notation for symmetric set difference, but 2206 is preferred
— annotation from the Unicode Standard, NamesList.txt
Codes & technical data
| Unicode | U+2238 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML hex | ∸ | |
| HTML decimal | ∸ | |
| CSS | \2238 | |
| JavaScript | \u{2238} | |
| Python | \U00002238 | |
| Java / C# | \u2238 | |
| Rust | \u{2238} | |
| Swift | \u{2238} | |
| PHP | \u{2238} | |
| URL encoded | %E2%88%B8 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 88 B8 | |
| UTF-16 bytes | 2238 | |
| Base64 | 4oi4 | |
| Decimal | 8760 | |
| HTML entity | ∸ | |
| LaTeX | \dotminus | |
| Category | Math symbol (Sm) | |
| Introduced | Unicode 1.1 | |
Will ∸ survive being pasted?
- Normalisation. Yes. ∸ is unchanged by NFKC, so it survives normalising systems intact.
- Legacy encodings. ∸ is Unicode-only — it has no Latin-1 equivalent, so a system stuck on an 8-bit encoding cannot represent it.
- Size. 3 bytes in UTF-8. Character-limited fields — SMS, bios, some form validators — usually count bytes, not characters.
Other minus characters
Unicode names 11 characters ending in “minus”. They differ by direction, weight or decoration rather than by meaning.
Nearby in Mathematical Operators
The operators mathematics and programming share — set theory, logic, calculus, comparison. Almost every character here has a LaTeX command, which is usually the fastest way to name the one you mean.
How to type ∸
| Windows | Type 2238 then press Alt+X |
|---|---|
| macOS | Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space, then search for “dot minus” |
| Linux | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2238, press Enter |
| HTML | ∸ |
About Unicode’s Math symbol category
Unicode classifies this as a mathematical symbol, which means software that lays out formulas treats it as an operator or relation and gives it spacing accordingly, rather than setting it tight against its neighbours like a letter.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I type the ∸ dot minus symbol?
- On Windows, type 2238 and press Alt+X. On Linux press Ctrl+Shift+U then 2238. On any system the quickest route is the copy button on this page.
- What is the code for ∸?
- Dot Minus is U+2238, written in HTML as ∸ and in LaTeX as \dotminus. In UTF-8 it takes 3 bytes. The table above lists every escape format.
- What kind of character is ∸?
- Dot Minus is filed under Math symbol in the Mathematical Operators block, and was introduced in Unicode 1.1. Unicode classifies this as a mathematical symbol, which means software that lays out formulas treats it as an operator or relation and gives it spacing accordingly, rather than setting it tight against its neighbours like a letter.