U+2A89 · Math symbol
HTML entity
⪉
LaTeX
\lnapprox
Less-Than And Not Approximate Symbol ⪉
⪉ is less-than and not approximate. Write it in HTML as ⪉ or paste the character directly. It was added in Unicode 3.2, and Unicode files it under Math symbol.
Codes & technical data
| Unicode | U+2A89 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML hex | ⪉ | |
| HTML decimal | ⪉ | |
| CSS | \2A89 | |
| JavaScript | \u{2A89} | |
| Python | \U00002A89 | |
| Java / C# | \u2A89 | |
| Rust | \u{2a89} | |
| Swift | \u{2A89} | |
| PHP | \u{2A89} | |
| URL encoded | %E2%AA%89 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 AA 89 | |
| UTF-16 bytes | 2A89 | |
| Base64 | 4qqJ | |
| Decimal | 10889 | |
| HTML entity | ⪉ | |
| LaTeX | \lnapprox | |
| Category | Math symbol (Sm) | |
| Introduced | Unicode 3.2 | |
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 approximate characters
Unicode names 4 characters ending in “approximate”. They differ by direction, weight or decoration rather than by meaning.
Nearby in Supplemental Mathematical Operators
A second full block of operators: n-ary forms, integrals with modifiers, and the dense family of comparison relations that differ only in the slant or stroke of the equals bar.
How to type ⪉
| Windows | Type 2A89 then press Alt+X |
|---|---|
| macOS | Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space, then search for “less-than and not approximate” |
| Linux | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2a89, 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 ⪉ less-than and not approximate symbol?
- On Windows, type 2A89 and press Alt+X. On Linux press Ctrl+Shift+U then 2a89. On any system the quickest route is the copy button on this page.
- What is the code for ⪉?
- Less-Than And Not Approximate is U+2A89, written in HTML as ⪉ and in LaTeX as \lnapprox. In UTF-8 it takes 3 bytes. The table above lists every escape format.
- What kind of character is ⪉?
- Less-Than And Not Approximate is filed under Math symbol in the Supplemental Mathematical Operators block, and was introduced in Unicode 3.2. 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.