The ⊃ (Superset Of) Symbol: Meaning, Math & Kaomoji

The ⊃ symbol, officially known as "Superset Of," is a fundamental mathematical operator used in set theory to indicate that one set contains all the elements of another. For example, if set A contains all elements of set B, it is written as A ⊃ B. You can think of it as the mathematical equivalent of saying "includes" or "is a broader category than."

First introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries alongside the development of modern set theory by mathematicians like Giuseppe Peano and Georg Cantor, the symbol resembles a stylized, reversed letter C. In the Unicode standard, the ⊃ symbol is assigned the code point U+2283 and resides in the "Mathematical Operators" block.

While its primary home is in mathematics and computer science textbooks, the superset symbol has carved out an entirely different identity on the modern internet. Since it looks perfectly like an outstretched arm, a scooping claw, or a wide smile, internet users frequently use it to build kaomoji (Japanese-style text emoticons). If you see a cute text face reaching out for a hug like ⊂(・▽・⊂) or a character dramatically throwing an object, you are likely looking at the subset and superset symbols at work.

Typing the ⊃ symbol depends on your device and platform. On Windows, you can type it using the Alt code Alt + 8835 on a numeric keypad, or by pressing the Windows key + . (period) to open the emoji and symbol menu. Mac users can open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search for "superset". If you are writing code for a website, you can use the HTML entity ⊃ or ⊃. For academic and mathematical writing in LaTeX, the command \supset gets the job done smoothly.

It is easy to mix up ⊃ with its closely related siblings in the mathematical operators family. The ⊂ (Subset Of, U+2282) symbol is its exact opposite, pointing in the reverse direction. The ⊇ (Superset of or Equal To, U+2287) symbol adds a horizontal line underneath, meaning the first set contains the second, but the two sets might also be exactly identical. Finally, while it looks similar to the standard > (Greater Than) sign, the greater-than sign compares individual numbers, whereas the superset symbol compares entirely distinct groups of items.