U+2272 · Math symbol
HTML entity
≲
LaTeX
\lesssim
Less-Than Or Equivalent To Symbol ≲
≲ is less-than or equivalent to. Write it in HTML as ≲ or paste the character directly. It was added in Unicode 1.1, and Unicode files it under Math symbol.
Also known as
Unicode 1.0 called this character less than or equivalent to. The standard renamed it later, but documents, fonts and font-editing tools from that era still use the old name.
Codes & technical data
| Unicode | U+2272 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML hex | ≲ | |
| HTML decimal | ≲ | |
| CSS | \2272 | |
| JavaScript | \u{2272} | |
| Python | \U00002272 | |
| Java / C# | \u2272 | |
| Rust | \u{2272} | |
| Swift | \u{2272} | |
| PHP | \u{2272} | |
| URL encoded | %E2%89%B2 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 89 B2 | |
| UTF-16 bytes | 2272 | |
| Base64 | 4omy | |
| Decimal | 8818 | |
| HTML entity | ≲ | |
| LaTeX | \lesssim | |
| 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 equivalent characters
Unicode names 13 characters ending in “equivalent”. 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 2272 then press Alt+X |
|---|---|
| macOS | Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space, then search for “less-than or equivalent to” |
| Linux | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2272, 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 or equivalent to symbol?
- On Windows, type 2272 and press Alt+X. On Linux press Ctrl+Shift+U then 2272. On any system the quickest route is the copy button on this page.
- What is the code for ≲?
- Less-Than Or Equivalent To is U+2272, written in HTML as ≲ and in LaTeX as \lesssim. In UTF-8 it takes 3 bytes. The table above lists every escape format.
- What kind of character is ≲?
- Less-Than Or Equivalent To 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.