HTML Entity for Left Double Arrow Stroke (⇍)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+21CD

HTML Entity for Left Double Arrow Stroke (U+21CD) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Left Double Arrow Stroke Entity?

Left Double Arrow Stroke (⇍) is the Arrows character at Unicode U+21CD (LEFTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW WITH STROKE). It is a double leftwards arrow crossed by a diagonal stroke — often used for negation.

Remember

Character     ⇍
Unicode       U+21CD
Hex entity    &#x21CD;
Decimal       &#8653;
Named entity  &nlArr;  (alias &nLeftarrow;)
CSS escape    \21CD
Not the same  &lArr; (⇐) · &nlarr; (↚) — case-sensitive!

All of these produce the same glyph: ⇍. Prefer &nlArr; when you want an explicit entity; watch the capital A.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`&nlArr;`	HTML markup (best entity default)
Hex entity	`⇍`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`⇍`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\21CD`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`⇍`	UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Readable HTML entity source	`&nlArr;` (or `&nLeftarrow;`)
Need a numeric entity	`⇍` or `⇍`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\21CD"`
Plain double left arrow	Use ⇐ (U+21D0)
Single stroked left arrow	Use &nlarr; (U+219A)

See it

Live Preview

Left Double Arrow Stroke in common UI and logic contexts.

Negated link style ⇍ Not allowed

Large glyph ⇍

Named entity &nlArr; → ⇍

vs ⇐ / &nlarr; ⇍ | ⇐ | ↚

With entities Hex: ⇍ | Decimal: ⇍ | Named: ⇍

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows Left Double Arrow Stroke with hex, decimal, named, and CSS. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Hex + Decimal + Named + CSS

All four ways to produce ⇍ in a single document.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Left Double Arrow Stroke (⇍) in HTML</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\21CD";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x21CD;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#8653;</p>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &nlArr;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p><a href="#">&nlArr; Not allowed</a></p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+21CD → ⇍ in HTML. The browser turns it into ⇍.

2. Decimal: same code point as 8653 → ⇍. Same result as hex.

3. Named: &nlArr; is the HTML5 name (alias &nLeftarrow;). Capital A is required.

4. CSS: use \21CD in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ⇍ after the paragraph text.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Left Double Arrow Stroke.

Case

`&nlArr;` ≠ `&nlarr;`

Lowercase &nlarr; is ↚ (U+219A). Uppercase A in &nlArr; gives ⇍ (U+21CD).

Look-alikes

⇍ ≠ ⇐ ≠ ↚

Stroked double, plain double, and stroked single arrows are different characters.

Alias

`&nLeftarrow;` works too

&nLeftarrow; is an HTML5 alias for the same character as &nlArr;.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\21CD belongs in CSS. &nlArr; / ⇍ / ⇍ belong in HTML.

A11y

Explain the negation

Pair the glyph with words like “not allowed”, or use aria-label on icon-only controls.

Semicolon

End references

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

Compatibility

Browser Support

Left Double Arrow Stroke (U+21CD) and its entity forms (&nlArr;, ⇍, ⇍, CSS \\21CD) are supported in all modern browsers.

✓ Universal support

Left Double Arrow Stroke (&nlArr;)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ⇍ directly in UTF-8 HTML.

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+21CD / &nlArr; Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &nlArr; for readable HTML. Remember capital A. Use \\21CD only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: this symbol is U+21CD (decimal 8653).
HTML: prefer &nlArr; — or use ⇍ / ⇍.
CSS: use \21CD inside content for generated text.
Watch out: &nlArr; ≠ &nlarr; ≠ ⇐ — case-sensitive names.

One line: U+21CD → &nlArr; / ⇍ / ⇍ / CSS \21CD.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display Left Double Arrow Stroke (⇍) in HTML using entities?

Use &nlArr; (named), ⇍ (hex), ⇍ (decimal), or the CSS escape \21CD in the content property. You can also type ⇍ directly in UTF-8 HTML.

What is the Unicode value for Left Double Arrow Stroke?

U+21CD (LEFTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW WITH STROKE). Hex 21CD, decimal 8653. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).

Is there a named HTML entity for U+21CD?

Yes. &nlArr; is the primary HTML5 named entity. &nLeftarrow; is a supported alias. You can also use ⇍ or ⇍.

When should I use this HTML entity?

Use it for negated implication or “does not map from” style logic, and UI that needs a cancelled double left arrow. Prefer &nlArr; for readable HTML; add nearby words or aria-label for accessibility.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+21CD?

HTML entities (&nlArr;, ⇍, or ⇍) go in markup. The CSS escape \21CD is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ⇍.

How is &nlArr; different from ⇐ or &nlarr;?

⇐ (U+21D0) is the plain left double arrow ⇐. &nlarr; (U+219A) is the single leftwards arrow with stroke. &nlArr; (U+21CD) is the double leftwards arrow with stroke. Named entities are case-sensitive.

Did you know?

Left Double Arrow Stroke is Unicode U+21CD (decimal 8653) — LEFTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW WITH STROKE. HTML5 provides &nlArr; (alias &nLeftarrow;). Prefer it for readable source. Case matters: &nlarr; is the single stroked arrow ↚; &nlArr; is the double stroked arrow ⇍.

Next: Left Double Arrow Vertical Stroke

Learn the HTML entity for Left Double Arrow Vertical Stroke — next in this sequence.

Left Double Arrow Vertical Stroke 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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