Neither Less-Than nor Greater-Than ≸
≸ (U+2278) 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: Neither Less-Than nor Greater-Than is part of the Symbols family (block: Mathematical Operators). 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 symbol NEITHER LESS-THAN NOR GREATER-THAN has the code point U+2278. It belongs to the Mathematical Operators block. In formulas and user interfaces, common math symbols indicate operations or comparisons. This symbol expresses a nonorder relation, showing that a value is not guaranteed to be less than or greater than another. It appears in math texts and in software where comparisons must be clarified. Historically, it joins a family of symbols that show relations beyond simple less-than and greater-than. In practice, it helps to show ambiguity or a strict separation between options. When used, it is read as not less than and not greater than, or as a cautious comparison. It is part of modern encoding standards so fonts can display it consistently. Designers use it to avoid misreading similar symbols and to keep formulas clear. The character is recognized in the Common script and supports clear, compact notation in both math and interfaces.
Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+2278 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+2278 - General Category:
Sm - Age:
1.1 - Bidi Class:
ON - Decomposition:
2276 0338 - Block:
Mathematical Operators - Script:
Common - UTF-8:
E2 89 B8 - UTF-16:
2278 - UTF-32:
00002278 - HTML dec:
≸ - HTML hex:
≸ - JS escape:
\u2278 - Python \N{}:
\N{NEITHER LESS-THAN NOR GREATER-THAN} - Python \u:
\u2278 - Python \U:
\U00002278 - URL-encoded:
%E2%89%B8 - CSS escape:
\2278
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+2278 or a built‑in character picker.
HTML: use the numeric entity ≸ (hex) or ≸ (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.