HTML Entity for Less Than (<)
What You'll Learn
How to display the Less Than symbol (<) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, named entity, and CSS escape methods. This character is U+003C (LESS-THAN SIGN) in the Basic Latin block—essential for math, programming comparisons, and web content.
Because <reserved in HTML (it ends a tag / starts comparisons), use >, >, or > in markup. Pair with > for greater-than comparisons. CSS escape: \3C.
⚡ Quick Reference — Less Than
U+003CBasic Latin (ASCII)
>Hexadecimal reference
>Decimal reference
>Most readable option
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+003C
Hex code >
HTML code >
Named entity >
CSS code \3C
Meaning Greater-than sign
Reserved Yes — escape in HTML content
Pair with < for less than (<)Complete HTML Example
This example demonstrates the Less Than symbol (<) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity, and a CSS content escape:
<!DOCTYPE html<
<html<
<head<
<style<
#point:after{
content: "\3C";
}
</style<
</head<
<body<
<p<Less Than using Hexadecimal: ></p<
<p<Less Than using Decimal: ></p<
<p<Less Than using Named Entity: ></p<
<p id="point"<Less Than using CSS Entity: </p<
</body<
</html<🌐 Browser Support
The Less Than symbol (<) is universally supported in all modern browsers:
👀 Live Preview
See the Less Than symbol (<) in math and code contexts:
🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
> uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 3E to display the Less 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
\3C 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+003C is reserved in HTML—always escape in text content. Next: Less Than Or Equal To.
Use Cases
The Less 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
\3Cin 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 \3C in the content property
Unicode U+003C — LESS-THAN SIGN (reserved in HTML)
Always escape < in content to avoid tag parsing errors
Next: Less Than Or Equal To
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
> (hex), > (decimal), > (named), or \3C in CSS content. All render <. Escape < in HTML text so it is not parsed as tag syntax.U+003C (LESS-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 \3C 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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