HTML Entity for Less Than (<)

Beginner
5 min read
Updated: Sep 2026
1 example
Unicode U+003C
HTML Entity for less than (<) tutorial illustration
Definition

What Is Less Than?

Less than (<) is the Unicode character at U+003C in Basic Latin. Official name: LESS-THAN SIGN. It is a reserved markup character — in HTML text you must escape it so it is not parsed as the start of a tag.

Remember
Character     <
Unicode       U+003C
Named entity  &lt;
Hex entity    &#x3C;
Decimal       &#60;
CSS escape    \003C
Meaning       less-than / comparison
Not the same  &gt; (>) · &le; (≤) · &nlt; (≮)

Prefer &lt; in HTML. Alternatives: &#x3C; or &#60;. Do not type a raw < in HTML body text.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

FormCodeWhere it goes
Named entity&lt;HTML markup (required for text)
Hex entity&#x3C;HTML markup
Decimal entity&#60;HTML markup
Direct character<Unsafe in HTML text — starts a tag
CSS escape\003CStylesheet content

When to Use Which

SituationUse
Show < as visible text / comparison&lt;
Greater-than comparison pair&lt; with &gt;
Less than or equal (≤)Less than or equal to
Generated text via ::before / ::aftercontent: "\003C"
Unescaped < in HTML textNever — that starts an HTML tag
See it

Live Preview

Symbol alone, in a sample, and next to related forms.

Glyph <
Large glyph <
Sample Age: 12 < 18   Range: a < b
Compared <   >   ≤   ≥
With entities Named: < | Hex: < | Decimal: <
Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows < with named, hex, decimal, and CSS escape. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Named + Hex + Decimal + CSS

Four safe ways to display < in HTML and CSS.

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Less Than (U+003C) in HTML</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\003C";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Built with Named: &lt;</p>
  <p>Built with Hex: &#x3C;</p>
  <p>Built with Decimal: &#60;</p>
  <p id="point">Built with CSS: </p>
  <p>Sample: age 12 &lt; 18</p>
  <p>Pair: &lt; and &gt;</p>
</body>
</html>
Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Named: &lt; is the HTML5 name for U+003C → <. Prefer this always in HTML text.

2. Hex: &#x3C; inserts the same code point. Same visual as named.

3. Decimal: same code point as 60 → &#60;.

4. CSS: use \003C in content (not an HTML entity). Prefer four hex digits so the escape does not swallow the next character.

5. Safety: never write a raw < in HTML text — it starts a tag. Pair with &gt; for greater-than.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with less than.

Escape

Always use &lt; for text

A raw < starts an HTML tag. Content after it can disappear or break the page.

Tags

Not the same as markup

<div> is a tag. Showing the symbol alone needs &lt; so it stays text.

Pair

Learn with &gt;

Comparisons usually need both sides. Escape < as &lt; and > as &gt;.

Math

Not the same as ≤

Less-than-or-equal is a different character. Use the correct entity when you need ≤ or ≥.

CSS

Pad the CSS escape

Prefer \003C. A short \3C can swallow the next hex digit if one follows immediately.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\003C belongs in CSS strings. &lt; / &#x3C; / &#60; belong in HTML.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish entities with ; — write &lt;, not &lt.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Less than (U+003C) and its entity forms (&lt;, &#x3C;, &#60;, CSS \\003C) are supported in all mainstream browsers as a Basic Latin character.

✓ Universal support

Less Than (&lt;)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — always escape in HTML text so < is never treated as a tag.

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+003C Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &lt; in HTML. Use &#x3C; / &#60; when numeric form is required, and \\003C only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

  • Unicode: less than is U+003C (decimal 60) — glyph <.
  • HTML: always prefer &lt; — also &#x3C; / &#60;.
  • CSS: use \003C inside content for generated text.
  • Safety: never type raw < in HTML text — it starts a tag.

One line: U+003C → &lt; / &#x3C; / &#60; / CSS \003C.

Frequently Asked Questions

Always use &lt; (named). You can also use &#x3C; (hex), &#60; (decimal), or the CSS escape \003C in content. Never type a raw < in HTML text — the browser treats it as the start of a tag.
U+003C (LESS-THAN SIGN). Hex 3C, decimal 60. It belongs to Basic Latin (ASCII).
Yes. HTML5 defines &lt; (and &LT;) for U+003C. Prefer &lt; whenever you show the symbol as text.
Always in HTML body text, attributes, and examples. A bare < starts a tag and will break your page or hide following content.
HTML entities (&lt;, &#60;, or &#x3C;) go in markup. The CSS escape \003C goes in stylesheet strings (usually content on ::before/::after).
No. < is U+003C. Less-than or equal (≤) and other math relations are different Unicode characters with their own entities.

Did you know?

Less than is Unicode U+003C (decimal 60) — glyph < (LESS-THAN SIGN) in Basic Latin. HTML5 named entity: &lt; (also &LT;). Always prefer &lt; in HTML text — a raw < starts a tag. Pair with &gt; for comparisons.

Next: Less Than Or Equal To

Learn the HTML entity for less-than or equal to (U+2264).

Continue tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P
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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