Subscript Minus ₋
₋ (U+208B) is a standard Unicode character that you can copy and paste anywhere text is accepted. This page provides a concise reference with safe tips, internal links, and practical guidance so you can use it reliably across apps and platforms.
What it is and where it’s used: Subscript Minus is part of the Symbols family (block: Superscripts and Subscripts). If you need styled or decorative alternatives, try our Fancy Text tool to generate compatible text that works in most modern interfaces.
History & usage: The character U+208B is the SUBSCRIPT MINUS. It lives in the Subscripts and Superscripts block and is used with numbers in formulas. In practice, it marks a negative index or a minus sign that sits below the line. This helps show subscripted subtractive ideas and negative counts without breaking the main symbol line. In writing and typesetting, you may see it with variables like x− when the minus needs to stay small and close to the base symbol. It is also useful in chemistry, physics, and computer science where a subscripted minus keeps the notation tidy. The symbol is part of the standard set for common math symbols used in formulas and user interfaces. It signals operations or comparisons, but only in a subscript position. Users rely on it to keep equations readable and compact. When rendering, fonts place the subscript minus lower and smaller than the base. This helps maintain consistent visual structure in technical text and data displays.
Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+208B in many development tools or editors. Some operating systems provide a character viewer or input palette that lets you search by name or code and insert the glyph into documents.
Display and fallback: if you see an empty box (tofu) or a placeholder rectangle, the active font might not include this codepoint. Switching to a font with broader Unicode coverage or using a fallback font usually fixes the issue. On the web, ensure the page’s font stack includes a general‑purpose fallback.
Related references: browse the Categories for similar characters. When choosing a symbol, prefer the official codepoint for semantic clarity and better compatibility with search, copy, and accessibility tooling.
See our category page for related symbols.
Technical details
- Codepoint:
U+208B - General Category:
Sm - Age:
1.1 - Bidi Class:
ES - Decomposition:
<sub> 2212 - Block:
Superscripts and Subscripts - Script:
Common - UTF-8:
E2 82 8B - UTF-16:
208B - UTF-32:
0000208B - HTML dec:
₋ - HTML hex:
₋ - JS escape:
\u208B - Python \N{}:
\N{SUBSCRIPT MINUS} - Python \u:
\u208B - Python \U:
\U0000208B - URL-encoded:
%E2%82%8B - CSS escape:
\208B
How to type / insert
Fast copy: click the Copy button near the top of this page.
By codepoint: in many editors and IDEs, you can insert via the Unicode code U+208B or a built‑in character picker.
HTML: use the numeric entity &#x208b; (hex) or &#8331; (decimal) when an HTML entity is needed.
Compatibility & troubleshooting
Font support: if the symbol does not render, the current font likely lacks this codepoint. Choose a font with broad Unicode coverage or allow a fallback font.
Web pages: ensure your CSS font stack includes a general fallback; avoid relying on images for common symbols to preserve accessibility and copyability.