HTML Entity for Asterisk (∗)

Beginner

6 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+2217

HTML Entity for asterisk operator (∗) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Asterisk Operator Entity?

Asterisk operator (∗) is Unicode U+2217 in the Mathematical Operators block. It is the centered mathematical asterisk — not the same code point as the keyboard ASCII star * (U+002A). HTML provides the named entity &lowast;.

Remember

Character     ∗
Unicode       U+2217
Hex entity    &#x2217;
Decimal       &#8727;
Named entity  &lowast;
CSS escape    \2217
Not the same  * U+002A (&ast;)

All of these produce the same glyph: ∗. Prefer &lowast; in hand-written HTML; type ∗ in UTF-8 when you can; use numeric or CSS forms for generated content.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Direct character	`∗`	HTML text (UTF-8)
Named entity	`&lowast;`	HTML markup (preferred name)
Hex entity	`∗`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`∗`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\2217`	Stylesheet `content`

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Mathematical asterisk operator	`&lowast;` or type `∗`
Keyboard / ASCII star, wildcards, code	* (U+002A) / `&ast;`
Combining asterisk below	U+0359
Need an entity in HTML source	`&lowast;`, `∗`, or `∗`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\2217"`

See it

Live Preview

Asterisk operator beside the ASCII star for comparison.

Inline math a ∗ b

Large glyph ∗

vs. ASCII * ∗ operator · * ASCII

Monospace conv ∗ kernel

With entities Named: ∗ | Hex: ∗ | Decimal: ∗

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows ∗ with hex, decimal, named entity, CSS escape, and a typed character. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Hex + Decimal + Named + CSS + Typed

Five ways to produce ∗ in a single document.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Asterisk Operator (∗) in HTML</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\2217";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Asterisk using Hex Code: &#x2217;</p>
  <p>Asterisk using HTML Code: &#8727;</p>
  <p>Asterisk using Named Entity: &lowast;</p>
  <p id="point">Asterisk using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p>Typed directly: ∗</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+2217 → ∗ in HTML. The browser turns it into ∗.

2. Decimal: same code point as 8727 → ∗. Same result as hex.

3. Named: &lowast; is the standard HTML name for U+2217 — clear in source (not &ast;).

4. CSS: use \2217 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ∗ after the paragraph text.

5. Typed ∗: fine in UTF-8 source. All five lines show the same glyph.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with the asterisk operator (∗).

Not ASCII asterisk

&ast; / * is U+002A. &lowast; is U+2217.

Passwords

Keep ASCII in code

Do not use U+2217 where a literal keyboard * is required (passwords, wildcards, source).

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\2217 belongs in CSS. &lowast; / ∗ belong in HTML.

Fonts

Glyphs can look alike

Some fonts draw ∗ and * almost the same — check code points, not appearance alone.

Consistency

Pick one style

Do not mix U+002A and U+2217 randomly in one formula without a reason.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish with ; — write &lowast;, not &lowast.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Asterisk operator (U+2217) and its entity forms (&lowast;, ∗, ∗, CSS \\2217) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Glyph availability depends on font support for Mathematical Operators.

✓ Universal support

Asterisk Operator (∗)

Type ∗, or encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — same glyph everywhere encoding is supported.

100% Browser coverage

Google Chrome Supported

Yes

Microsoft Edge Supported

Yes

Mozilla Firefox Supported

Yes

Apple Safari Supported

Yes

Opera Supported

Yes

Internet Explorer All versions

Yes

U+2217 / entities Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &lowast; or a typed ∗ for math text. Use &ast; / * for ASCII stars, and \\2217 only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: asterisk operator is U+2217 (decimal 8727).
HTML: prefer &lowast; (or ∗ / ∗).
CSS: use \2217 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: ∗ (&lowast;) ≠ * (&ast;).

One line: U+2217 → &lowast; / ∗ / ∗ / CSS \2217.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display the asterisk operator (∗) in HTML?

Use ∗ (hex), ∗ (decimal), &lowast; (named), or the CSS escape \2217 in the content property. All render ∗ (U+2217). You can also paste ∗ directly if your file is UTF-8.

What is the Unicode value for the asterisk operator?

U+2217 (hex 2217, decimal 8727). Unicode names it ASTERISK OPERATOR. It belongs to the Mathematical Operators block (U+2200–U+22FF).

Is &lowast; the same as &ast;?

No. &lowast; is U+2217 (∗). &ast; is U+002A (*), the ASCII keyboard asterisk. They may look alike but are different code points.

When should I use ∗ instead of *?

Use ∗ (U+2217) when you want the mathematical operator glyph. Use * (U+002A) for keyboard-style stars, passwords, wildcards, and source code that must match ASCII.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for ∗?

HTML entities (∗, ∗, or &lowast;) go in markup. The CSS escape \2217 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ∗.

Is there a named HTML entity for ∗ (U+2217)?

Yes. &lowast; maps to U+2217. Prefer it in hand-written HTML; numeric forms are useful in generated markup.

Did you know?

Asterisk operator is Unicode U+2217 (decimal 8727) in the Mathematical Operators block. HTML provides &lowast; for ∗. It is not the keyboard ASCII asterisk * (U+002A / &ast;) — they may look similar but are different characters.

Next: Asterisk Below

Learn the HTML entity for combining asterisk below (U+0359) used in phonetic and specialized text.

Next tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
Focus Full Stack Development, AWS, and Developer Education

I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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