Circled Times (⊗) is the Unicode character at U+2297 in the Mathematical Operators block (official name: CIRCLED TIMES). It shows a multiplication cross inside a circle and is used in math notation (including tensor product and circled multiplication).
Remember
Character ⊗
Unicode U+2297
Hex entity ⊗
Decimal ⊗
Named entity ⊗
CSS escape \2297
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
\2297
Stylesheet content
When to use which
Situation
Use
Hand-written HTML
⊗ or type ⊗
Generated / numeric-only markup
⊗ or ⊗
Generated text via ::before / ::after
content: "\2297"
Everyday multiplication
Use × (×) or *
Circled asterisk (look-alike)
Use ⊛ (U+229B), not ⊗
See it
Live Preview
Circled Times rendered in common writing contexts.
Inline textA ⊗ B
Large glyph⊗
Compared⊗ × ⊛ ⊕
Monospaceop ⊗ → circled times
With entitiesNamed: ⊗ | Hex: ⊗ | Decimal: ⊗
Code
Complete HTML Example
One page that shows Circled Times 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 Times (⊗) in HTML</title>
<style>
#point::after {
content: "\2297";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Circled Times using Named Entity: ⊗</p>
<p>Circled Times using Hex Code: ⊗</p>
<p>Circled Times using HTML Code: ⊗</p>
<p id="point">Circled Times using CSS Entity: </p>
<p>Typed directly: ⊗</p>
</body>
</html>
Circled Times using Named Entity: ⊗
Circled Times using Hex Code: ⊗
Circled Times using HTML Code: ⊗
Circled Times using CSS Entity: ⊗
Typed directly: ⊗
How It Works
1. Named:⊗ is the HTML5 named reference for U+2297 → ⊗.
2. Hex:U+2297 → ⊗ in HTML. Same glyph as the named form.
3. Decimal: same code point as 8855 → ⊗. Same result as hex.
4. CSS: use \2297 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 Times entities.
Named
Use ⊗
The HTML5 name is ⊗. Always end with ;.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\2297 belongs in CSS. ⊗ / ⊗ / ⊗ belong in HTML.
⊗ vs ×
Different characters
⊗ is U+2297. Multiplication sign × is U+00D7 (×).
Meaning
Math operator, not × button
Use ⊗ for formal notation. Use × or * for ordinary multiplication.
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 Times (U+2297) and its entity forms (⊗, ⊗, ⊗, CSS \\2297) are supported in all mainstream browsers.
✓ Universal support
Circled Times (⊗)
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+2297 / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Prefer ⊗ or a typed ⊗ for math notation. Use decimal when generating markup, and \\2297 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: circled times is U+2297 (decimal 8855).
HTML: prefer ⊗ (also ⊗, ⊗).
CSS: use \2297 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: ⊗ ≠ × ≠ ⊛ (circled times ≠ times ≠ circled asterisk).
Use ⊗ (hex), ⊗ (decimal), ⊗ (named), or the CSS escape \2297 in the content property. All render ⊗. You can also paste ⊗ directly when your file is UTF-8.
U+2297 (hex 2297, decimal 8855). Unicode names it CIRCLED TIMES. It belongs to the Mathematical Operators block.
Yes. ⊗ maps to U+2297. Prefer ⊗ in hand-written HTML; numeric forms are useful in generated markup.
⊗ (U+2297) is circled times. × (U+00D7) is the common multiplication sign. ⊛ (U+229B) is circled asterisk operator — a related but different circled math operator.
HTML entities (⊗, ⊗, or ⊗) go in markup. The CSS escape \2297 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ⊗.
Use it in linear algebra or formal math when you need this exact operator (for example tensor product). Prefer × or * for everyday multiplication.
🤔
Did you know?
Circled times is Unicode U+2297 (decimal 8855) — official name CIRCLED TIMES in the Mathematical Operators block. HTML’s named reference is ⊗. It often denotes tensor product or a circled multiplication operator and is not the plain times sign (U+00D7 ×).
