Circled Minus (⊖) is the Unicode character at U+2296 in the Mathematical Operators block (official name: CIRCLED MINUS). It shows a minus sign inside a circle and is used in math and formal notation for a circled subtraction-style operator.
Remember
Character ⊖
Unicode U+2296
Hex entity ⊖
Decimal ⊖
Named entity ⊖
CSS escape \2296
All of these produce the same glyph: ⊖. Prefer ⊖ or a typed ⊖ in hand-written HTML; use numeric forms when generating markup.
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
⊖
HTML markup
Hex entity
⊖
HTML markup
Decimal entity
⊖
HTML markup
CSS escape
\2296
Stylesheet content
When to use which
Situation
Use
Hand-written HTML
⊖ or type ⊖
Generated / numeric-only markup
⊖ or ⊖
Generated text via ::before / ::after
content: "\2296"
Circled dash (look-alike)
Use ⊝ (U+229D), not ⊖
Everyday subtraction
Use - or minus − (−)
See it
Live Preview
Circled Minus rendered in common writing contexts.
Inline textA ⊖ B
Large glyph⊖
Compared⊖ ⊝ ⊕ −
Monospaceop ⊖ → circled minus
With entitiesNamed: ⊖ | Hex: ⊖ | Decimal: ⊖
Code
Complete HTML Example
One page that shows Circled Minus with the named entity, hex entity, decimal entity, CSS escape, and a typed character. Use View Output or open the live editor.
Named + Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed
Five ways to produce ⊖ in a single document.
html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Circled Minus (⊖) in HTML</title>
<style>
#point::after {
content: "\2296";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Circled Minus using Named Entity: ⊖</p>
<p>Circled Minus using Hex Code: ⊖</p>
<p>Circled Minus using HTML Code: ⊖</p>
<p id="point">Circled Minus using CSS Entity: </p>
<p>Typed directly: ⊖</p>
</body>
</html>
Circled Minus using Named Entity: ⊖
Circled Minus using Hex Code: ⊖
Circled Minus using HTML Code: ⊖
Circled Minus using CSS Entity: ⊖
Typed directly: ⊖
How It Works
1. Named:⊖ is the HTML5 named reference for U+2296 → ⊖.
2. Hex:U+2296 → ⊖ in HTML. Same glyph as the named form.
3. Decimal: same code point as 8854 → ⊖. Same result as hex.
4. CSS: use \2296 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ⊖ after the paragraph text.
5. Typed ⊖: fine in UTF-8 pages. All five lines show the same glyph.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with Circled Minus entities.
Named
Use ⊖
The HTML5 name is ⊖. Always end with ;.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\2296 belongs in CSS. ⊖ / ⊖ / ⊖ belong in HTML.
⊖ vs ⊝
Different characters
⊖ is U+2296 (circled minus). Circled dash ⊝ is U+229D.
Meaning
Math operator, not hyphen
Use ⊖ for formal notation. Use - or − for ordinary subtraction.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ⊖ and ⊖, not bare forms.
Fonts
Math font coverage
Some UI fonts lack ⊖. If missing, name the operator in nearby text.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Circled Minus (U+2296) and its entity forms (⊖, ⊖, ⊖, CSS \\2296) are supported in all mainstream browsers.
✓ Universal support
Circled Minus (⊖)
Type ⊖, or encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — same glyph everywhere encoding is supported.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerAll versions
Yes
U+2296 / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Prefer ⊖ or a typed ⊖ for math notation. Use decimal when generating markup, and \\2296 only inside CSS content.
Use ⊖ (hex), ⊖ (decimal), ⊖ (named), or the CSS escape \2296 in the content property. All render ⊖. You can also paste ⊖ directly when your file is UTF-8.
U+2296 (hex 2296, decimal 8854). Unicode names it CIRCLED MINUS. It belongs to the Mathematical Operators block.
Yes. ⊖ maps to U+2296. Prefer ⊖ in hand-written HTML; numeric forms are useful in generated markup.
⊖ (U+2296) is circled minus. ⊝ (U+229D) is circled dash — a related but different math operator with its own code point.
HTML entities (⊖, ⊖, or ⊖) go in markup. The CSS escape \2296 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ⊖.
Use it in math or set-style notation when you need this exact circled-minus operator. Prefer a plain hyphen or minus sign (−) for everyday subtraction.
🤔
Did you know?
Circled minus is Unicode U+2296 (decimal 8854) — official name CIRCLED MINUS in the Mathematical Operators block. HTML’s named reference is ⊖. It is not circled dash (U+229D ⊝).
