32:
294:, has been found in documents dated as far back as the 1560s. In mathematical writing, the less-than sign is typically placed between two values being compared and signifies that the first number is less than the second number. Examples of typical usage include
1040:
In an inequality, the less-than sign and greater-than sign always "point" to the smaller number. Put another way, the "jaws" (the wider section of the symbol) always direct to the larger number.
1074:
1156:
96:
730:
68:
75:
486:(where "EOF" is an arbitrary string, but commonly "EOF" denoting "end of file") is used to denote the beginning of a
115:
550:
operator returns true if the left operand precedes the right operand in document order; otherwise it returns false.
506:
49:
82:
1217:
53:
1222:
64:
1190:
625:
617:
528:
479:
363:
355:
1121:
694:
621:
598:
494:
359:
283:
420:
42:
737:), the less-than sign is used at the beginning of tags. The less-than sign may be included with
513:
1227:
315:
1059:
89:
371:
8:
1136:
1131:
286:
between two values. The widely adopted form of two equal-length strokes connecting in an
714:
678:
1164:
1126:
585:
is expanded and supplied to the command on its standard input, similar to a heredoc.
471:
319:
213:
463:). ASCII does not encode either of these signs, though they are both included in
428:
1021:
187:
20:
1029:
637:
1211:
1048:
567:
487:
698:
674:
412:
1044:
287:
1094:
381:
456:
31:
1052:
1020:
The less-than sign may be seen for an approximation of the opening
1077:
is often used when it would be confusing or not convenient to use
757:
659:
606:
464:
392:
144:
644:
1186:
1082:
629:
613:
543:
498:
367:
351:
339:
726:
475:
651:
means "less than or equal to" (as distinct from the arrow
1086:
734:
559:
539:
when used between an array and the value to be appended.
322:
have been repurposed for a range of uses and operations.
605:. ASCII does not have a less-than-or-equal-to sign, but
1062:
705:), this can be used as the left assignment operator.
1043:
The less-than-sign is sometimes used to represent a
697:, the less-than sign is used in conjunction with a
688:
56:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
19:For the use of the "<" sign as punctuation, see
1068:
588:
640:it is encoded as a single-byte code point token.
1209:
1157:"XML Path Language (XPath) 2.0 (Second Edition)"
1028:. True angle bracket characters, as required in
524:and performs an output operation on the stream.
423:input from a file. Less-than plus ampersand (
419:means "less than". Less-than sign is used to
520:, when applied on an output stream, acts as
597:, may be used for an approximation of the
447:, may be used for an approximation of the
593:The less-than sign with the equals sign,
282:is a mathematical symbol that denotes an
116:Learn how and when to remove this message
553:
434:
399:means "less than"; later versions allow
1163:. W3C. 14 December 2010. Archived from
1210:
708:
566:is used to denote the beginning of a
780:Apl Functional Symbol Quad Less Than
54:adding citations to reliable sources
25:
978:Neither Less Than Nor Equivalent To
760:provides various Less Than Symbol:
670:both mean "less than or equal to".
16:Mathematical symbol for "less than"
13:
802:Double Right Arc Less Than Bracket
741:. The less-than-or-equal-to sign,
636:means "less than or equal to". In
581:is used as a "here string", where
415:(and many other shells), operator
314:Since the development of computer
14:
1239:
846:Leftwards Arrow Through Less Than
609:defines it at code point U+2264.
574:is an arbitrary named variable.)
1081:. In mathematical writing using
1032:, are expected in formal texts.
689:Less-than sign with hyphen-minus
406:
342:character (hex 3C, decimal 60).
30:
1193:from the original on 2023-05-16
1090:
879:Less Than But Not Equivalent To
857:Less Than Above Leftwards Arrow
702:
685:means "less than or equal to".
682:
667:
663:
652:
648:
633:
594:
589:Less-than sign with equals sign
582:
578:
563:
547:
532:
517:
502:
483:
424:
41:needs additional citations for
1179:
1149:
1035:
967:Neither Less Than Nor Equal To
713:Less-than sign is used in the
345:
1:
1142:
624:-family languages (including
427:) is used to redirect from a
362:-family languages (including
318:, the less-than sign and the
243:LESS-THAN OR SLANTED EQUAL TO
21:Bracket § Angle brackets
934:Less Than With Circle Inside
325:
7:
1115:
189:LEFT-POINTING ANGLE BRACKET
10:
1244:
901:Less Than Or Equivalent To
868:Less Than But Not Equal To
835:Left Arc Less Than Bracket
752:
599:less-than-or-equal-to sign
18:
200:
195:
174:
169:
142:
135:
130:
1122:Inequality (mathematics)
912:Less Than Over Equal To
745:, may be included with
720:
620:-family languages, and
358:-family languages, and
1070:
1069:{\displaystyle \prec }
1055:. However, the symbol
695:R programming language
1218:Typographical symbols
1071:
890:Less Than Or Equal To
824:Equal To Or Less Than
554:Triple less-than sign
441:double less-than sign
435:Double less-than sign
316:programming languages
229:LESS-THAN OR EQUAL TO
1223:Mathematical symbols
1060:
1030:linguistics notation
1000:Small Less Than Sign
701:to create an arrow (
514:C++ Standard Library
455:) or of the opening
50:improve this article
1137:Much-less-than sign
1132:Relational operator
1011:Very Much Less Than
813:Fullwidth less than
449:much-less-than sign
388:means "less than".
377:means "less than".
372:comparison operator
245:used e.g. in Poland
1187:"Less than symbol"
1066:
945:Less Than With Dot
715:spaceship operator
709:Spaceship operator
679:Windows PowerShell
564:<<<OUTPUT
522:insertion operator
163:<, <
1167:on 7 October 2022
1127:Greater-than sign
1018:
1017:
791:Circled Less Than
570:statement (where
507:binary left shift
338:, is an original
320:greater-than sign
276:
275:
215:GREATER-THAN SIGN
126:
125:
118:
100:
1235:
1202:
1201:
1199:
1198:
1183:
1177:
1176:
1174:
1172:
1153:
1111:
1110:
1107:
1104:
1102:
1092:
1080:
1076:
1075:
1073:
1072:
1067:
1027:
763:
762:
748:
744:
740:
704:
684:
669:
665:
654:
650:
635:
604:
596:
584:
580:
579:<<<word
573:
565:
549:
534:
519:
504:
485:
462:
454:
446:
426:
418:
402:
398:
387:
376:
337:
310:
306:
304:
303:
299:
293:
272:
269:
266:
264:
259:
256:
253:
251:
244:
241:
238:
236:
230:
227:
224:
222:
216:
212:
209:
207:
190:
186:
183:
181:
164:
160:
157:
154:
152:
128:
127:
121:
114:
110:
107:
101:
99:
65:"Less-than sign"
58:
34:
26:
1243:
1242:
1238:
1237:
1236:
1234:
1233:
1232:
1208:
1207:
1206:
1205:
1196:
1194:
1185:
1184:
1180:
1170:
1168:
1155:
1154:
1150:
1145:
1118:
1108:
1105:
1100:
1099:
1098:
1078:
1061:
1058:
1057:
1056:
1038:
1025:
755:
746:
742:
738:
723:
711:
691:
681:, the operator
602:
591:
571:
556:
537:append operator
460:
452:
444:
437:
429:file descriptor
416:
409:
400:
396:
385:
374:
348:
335:
328:
308:
301:
297:
296:
295:
291:
270:
267:
262:
261:
260:
257:
254:
249:
248:
246:
242:
239:
234:
233:
231:
228:
225:
220:
219:
218:
214:
210:
205:
204:
188:
184:
179:
178:
162:
158:
155:
150:
149:
138:
122:
111:
105:
102:
59:
57:
47:
35:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1241:
1231:
1230:
1225:
1220:
1204:
1203:
1178:
1147:
1146:
1144:
1141:
1140:
1139:
1134:
1129:
1124:
1117:
1114:
1093:. The Unicode
1065:
1037:
1034:
1016:
1015:
1012:
1009:
1005:
1004:
1001:
998:
994:
993:
990:
987:
983:
982:
979:
976:
972:
971:
968:
965:
961:
960:
957:
956:Much Less Than
954:
950:
949:
946:
943:
939:
938:
935:
932:
928:
927:
924:
923:Less Than Sign
921:
917:
916:
913:
910:
906:
905:
902:
899:
895:
894:
891:
888:
884:
883:
880:
877:
873:
872:
869:
866:
862:
861:
858:
855:
851:
850:
847:
844:
840:
839:
836:
833:
829:
828:
825:
822:
818:
817:
814:
811:
807:
806:
803:
800:
796:
795:
792:
789:
785:
784:
781:
778:
774:
773:
770:
767:
754:
751:
722:
719:
710:
707:
690:
687:
638:Sinclair BASIC
590:
587:
555:
552:
436:
433:
408:
405:
347:
344:
332:less-than sign
327:
324:
280:less-than sign
274:
273:
271:MUCH LESS-THAN
202:
198:
197:
193:
192:
176:
175:Different from
172:
171:
170:Different from
167:
166:
159:LESS-THAN SIGN
147:
140:
139:
137:Less-than sign
136:
133:
132:
124:
123:
38:
36:
29:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1240:
1229:
1226:
1224:
1221:
1219:
1216:
1215:
1213:
1192:
1188:
1182:
1166:
1162:
1158:
1152:
1148:
1138:
1135:
1133:
1130:
1128:
1125:
1123:
1120:
1119:
1113:
1096:
1088:
1084:
1063:
1054:
1050:
1049:partial order
1046:
1041:
1033:
1031:
1023:
1022:angle bracket
1013:
1010:
1007:
1006:
1002:
999:
996:
995:
991:
989:Not Less Than
988:
985:
984:
980:
977:
974:
973:
969:
966:
963:
962:
958:
955:
952:
951:
947:
944:
941:
940:
936:
933:
930:
929:
925:
922:
919:
918:
914:
911:
908:
907:
903:
900:
897:
896:
892:
889:
886:
885:
881:
878:
875:
874:
870:
867:
864:
863:
859:
856:
853:
852:
848:
845:
842:
841:
837:
834:
831:
830:
826:
823:
820:
819:
815:
812:
809:
808:
804:
801:
798:
797:
793:
790:
787:
786:
782:
779:
776:
775:
771:
768:
765:
764:
761:
759:
750:
736:
732:
728:
718:
716:
706:
700:
696:
686:
680:
676:
671:
661:
656:
646:
641:
639:
631:
627:
623:
619:
615:
610:
608:
600:
586:
575:
569:
561:
551:
545:
540:
538:
530:
525:
523:
515:
510:
508:
505:represents a
500:
496:
491:
489:
488:here document
481:
477:
473:
468:
466:
458:
450:
442:
432:
430:
422:
414:
407:Shell scripts
404:
394:
389:
383:
378:
373:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
343:
341:
333:
323:
321:
317:
312:
290:at the left,
289:
285:
281:
258:NOT LESS-THAN
247:
217:
203:
199:
194:
191:
177:
173:
168:
148:
146:
141:
134:
129:
120:
117:
109:
98:
95:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67: –
66:
62:
61:Find sources:
55:
51:
45:
44:
39:This article
37:
33:
28:
27:
22:
1228:Inequalities
1195:. Retrieved
1181:
1169:. Retrieved
1165:the original
1160:
1151:
1042:
1039:
1019:
756:
724:
712:
699:hyphen-minus
692:
675:Bourne shell
672:
662:, operators
657:
642:
632:), operator
611:
592:
576:
557:
541:
536:
526:
521:
511:
492:
469:
448:
440:
438:
413:Bourne shell
410:
390:
379:
349:
331:
329:
313:
279:
277:
232:
112:
103:
93:
86:
79:
72:
60:
48:Please help
43:verification
40:
1089:command is
1045:total order
1036:Mathematics
772:Code Point
562:, operator
531:, operator
516:, operator
501:, operator
484:<<EOF
482:, operator
395:, operator
384:, operator
346:Programming
288:acute angle
1212:Categories
1197:2023-06-06
1171:29 October
1161:www.w3.org
1143:References
1095:code point
382:Coldfusion
284:inequality
76:newspapers
1064:≺
577:In Bash,
457:guillemet
425:<&
326:Computing
309:−2 < 0
106:June 2019
1191:Archived
1116:See also
1109:PRECEDES
1106:≺
1053:preorder
747:≤
739:<
548:<<
535:acts as
533:<<
518:<<
503:<<
445:<<
421:redirect
268:≪
255:≮
240:⩽
226:≤
201:See also
185:〈
143:In
1014:U+22D8
1003:U+FE64
992:U+226E
981:U+2274
970:U+2270
959:U+226A
948:U+22D6
937:U+2A79
926:U+003C
915:U+2266
904:U+2272
893:U+2264
882:U+22E6
871:U+2268
860:U+2976
849:U+2977
838:U+2993
827:U+22DC
816:U+FF1C
805:U+2996
794:U+29C0
783:U+2343
758:Unicode
753:Unicode
693:In the
660:Fortran
607:Unicode
568:heredoc
512:In the
465:Unicode
393:Fortran
300:⁄
196:Related
145:Unicode
90:scholar
1103:
1101:U+227A
1085:, the
766:Symbol
645:Prolog
572:OUTPUT
478:, and
305:< 1
265:
263:U+226A
252:
250:U+226E
237:
235:U+2A7D
223:
221:U+2264
211:>
208:
206:U+003E
182:
180:U+2329
156:<
153:
151:U+003C
92:
85:
78:
71:
63:
1091:\prec
1083:LaTeX
729:(and
703:<-
668:<=
653:<=
649:=<
634:<=
614:BASIC
595:<=
544:XPath
352:BASIC
340:ASCII
97:JSTOR
83:books
1173:2019
1079:<
920:<
769:Name
733:and
731:SGML
727:HTML
721:HTML
677:and
666:and
664:.LE.
628:and
626:Java
618:Lisp
583:word
546:the
529:Ruby
497:and
480:Ruby
476:Perl
472:Bash
439:The
401:<
397:.LT.
386:.lt.
375:<
366:and
364:Java
356:Lisp
336:<
330:The
307:and
292:<
278:The
131:<
69:news
1097:is
1087:TeX
1051:or
735:XML
725:In
683:-le
673:In
658:In
655:).
643:In
630:C++
612:In
560:PHP
558:In
542:In
527:In
499:C++
493:In
470:In
417:-lt
411:In
391:In
380:In
370:),
368:C++
350:In
311:.
52:by
1214::
1189:.
1159:.
1112:.
1047:,
1024:,
749:.
717:.
647:,
616:,
601:,
509:.
490:.
474:,
467:.
443:,
431:.
403:.
354:,
334:,
1200:.
1175:.
1026:⟨
1008:⋘
997:﹤
986:≮
975:≴
964:≰
953:≪
942:⋖
931:⩹
909:≦
898:≲
887:≤
876:⋦
865:≨
854:⥶
843:⥷
832:⦓
821:⋜
810:＜
799:⦖
788:⧀
777:⍃
743:≤
622:C
603:≤
495:C
461:«
459:(
453:≪
451:(
360:C
302:2
298:1
165:)
161:(
119:)
113:(
108:)
104:(
94:·
87:·
80:·
73:·
46:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
