Greater-Than or Approximate ⪆

⪆ (U+2A86) 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: Greater-Than or Approximate is part of the Symbols family (block: Supplemental 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 GREATER-THAN OR APPROXIMATE, code point U+2A86, lives in the Supplemental Mathematical Operators block. It represents a comparison that is both greater than and about equal. In math formulas, it can show a rough bound when exact equality is not claimed. In user interfaces, it helps convey a near threshold or approximate dominance in data lists and charts. The symbol is part of common math symbols that indicate operations or comparisons in formulas and user interfaces. Users see it where precise values are not needed or where decimals and estimates matter. When reading equations, this symbol can replace a long statement like “greater than or nearly equal to.” It keeps expressions shorter and clearer. For fonts and rendering, the symbol relies on consistent typography to avoid misinterpretation. Designers choose it to avoid confusing the reader with two separate signs. The symbol supports quick reasoning in science, engineering, and everyday math. As a standard character, it is available in most fonts and systems and does not require special tools to display.

Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+2A86 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.