Left White Parenthesis ⦅

⦅ (U+2985) 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: Left White Parenthesis is part of the Symbols family (block: Miscellaneous Mathematical Symbols-B). If you need styled or decorative alternatives, try our Fancy Text tool to generate compatible text that works in most modern interfaces.

History & usage: Left White Parenthesis is a punctuation mark used to open a group in text and code. Historically, it appears in mathematical notation as a variant of a bracket. It is drawn as a small, open circle like shape. In text, it helps separate parameters or quoted text from surrounding content. In code, it marks the start of a parameter list or a set of values in some formal languages. It is paired with a closing white parenthesis to enclose the group. When used, it keeps the line clear and avoids heavy braces. It helps readers see where a group begins without adding extra lines. The symbol is part of the Miscellaneous Mathematical Symbols-B block and belongs to the common script family. It is used mainly as a typographic tool for neat grouping. Writers choose it to avoid crowding with standard parentheses in complex layouts. As with other delimiters, it relies on a matching closing mark to define the scope of the group. This keeps code and text readable and precise.

Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+2985 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.