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Minus Sign

Unicode
U+2212
Category
Math
Symbol Sets
Dashes and Hyphens
HTML Entity
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CSS
\2212
The true minus sign (U+2212) is a mathematical operator used to represent subtraction and negative numbers. Unlike the standard hyphen-minus found on most keyboards, this typographic symbol is slightly wider and vertically aligns perfectly with the plus and equal signs. It is primarily used in professional typesetting, scientific publishing, and advanced mathematical equations to ensure visual harmony.

How to Type

Windows
In Word: type 2212, then press Alt + X. Other apps have no standard Windows shortcut for it — copy it from this page
macOS
Control+Command+Space then search 'minus sign'
Linux
Ctrl+Shift+U 2212
HTML
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In Programming

In most programming languages, the standard ASCII hyphen-minus is used for actual computation, while the Unicode minus sign is strictly reserved for display strings, typesetting libraries like LaTeX, and MathML for precise visual rendering.

Read full meaning article

Tags

HTML minus entity LaTeX minus U+2212 arithmetic hyphen vs minus math typography mathematics minus sign negative negative number subtraction subtraction symbol true minus sign typographic minus unicode minus −

Related Symbols

± Plus Minus Sign × Multiplication Sign ÷ Division Sign ≠ Not Equal To ≈ Approximately Equal To ∞ Infinity √ Square Root ∑ Summation ∫ Integral π Pi ≤ Less Than or Equal To ≥ Greater Than or Equal To