HTML Entity for Greater Than (>)
What You'll Learn
How to display the Greater Than symbol (>) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, named entity, and CSS escape methods. This character is U+003E (GREATER-THAN SIGN) in the Basic Latin block—essential for math, programming comparisons, and web content.
Because > is reserved in HTML (it can start a tag), use >, >, or > in markup. Pair with < for less-than comparisons. CSS escape: \3E.
⚡ Quick Reference — Greater Than
U+003EBasic Latin (ASCII)
>Hexadecimal reference
>Decimal reference
>Most readable option
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+003E
Hex code >
HTML code >
Named entity >
CSS code \3E
Meaning Greater-than sign
Reserved Yes — escape in HTML content
Pair with < for less than (<)Complete HTML Example
This example demonstrates the Greater Than symbol (>) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity, and a CSS content escape:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point:after{
content: "\3E";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Greater Than using Hexadecimal: ></p>
<p>Greater Than using Decimal: ></p>
<p>Greater Than using Named Entity: ></p>
<p id="point">Greater Than using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
The Greater Than symbol (>) is universally supported in all modern browsers:
👀 Live Preview
See the Greater Than symbol (>) in math and code contexts:
🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
> uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 3E to display the Greater Than symbol. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.
Decimal HTML Code
> uses the decimal Unicode value 62 to display the same character. Widely used in HTML content.
Named Entity
> is the standard named HTML entity for >—the preferred, readable option when writing markup by hand.
CSS Entity
\3E is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.
Same visual result
All four methods produce the glyph: >. Unicode U+003E is reserved in HTML—always escape in text content. Next: Greater Than Above Right Arrow.
Use Cases
The Greater Than symbol (>) is commonly used in:
Inequalities and comparisons in tutorials, e.g. x > 5 or a > b.
Comparison operators and conditional logic in programming documentation.
Query builders, form validation hints (e.g. length > 8), and UI copy.
Explaining tag syntax and how to escape reserved characters in markup.
Educational examples such as if (age > 18) in lesson content.
HTML entity lists and character reference pages for developers.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Use
>or>in HTML body content - Escape
>in code samples shown as text - Pair with
<when documenting comparison operators - Prefer
>for readable hand-written markup - Serve pages with UTF-8 (
<meta charset="utf-8">)
Don’t
- Type raw
>in HTML text where it could be parsed as a tag - Put CSS escape
\3Ein HTML text nodes - Forget to escape in attributes when showing literal
> - Mix entity styles randomly in one file
- Confuse
>with mathematical much-greater symbols (e.g. ≫)
Key Takeaways
Three HTML references plus CSS all render >
> > >For CSS stylesheets, use \3E in the content property
Unicode U+003E — GREATER-THAN SIGN (reserved in HTML)
Always escape > in content to avoid tag parsing errors
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
> (hex), > (decimal), > (named), or \3E in CSS content. All render >. Escape > in HTML text so it is not parsed as tag syntax.U+003E (GREATER-THAN SIGN). Basic Latin block. Hex 3E, decimal 62. Named entity: >. Reserved in HTML markup.> or numeric entities ensures correct display and avoids parsing errors, especially in content about code or math.>, >, or >) go in markup. The CSS escape \3E is used in stylesheets, typically in the content property of pseudo-elements. Same visual result, different layers of the stack.Explore More HTML Entities!
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