HTML Entity for Less Than But Not Equal To (≨)

Beginner
⏱️ 5 min read
📚 Updated: Jun 2026
🎯 1 Code Example
Unicode U+2268
HTML entity for Less Than But Not Equal To (U+2268) — named ≨, hex, decimal, and CSS tutorial

What You'll Learn

How to display the Less Than But Not Equal To (≨) symbol in HTML using the named entity, hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. This symbol is U+2268 (LESS-THAN BUT NOT EQUAL TO) in the Mathematical Operators block (U+2200–U+22FF)—denoting a strict less-than relation that excludes equality.

Render it with &lnE; (named), &#x2268;, &#8808;, or CSS \2268. Pair with U+2269 (≩, greater-than but not equal / &gnE;). Do not confuse ≨ with ≤ (less-than or equal / &le;) or the plain < character.

⚡ Quick Reference — Less Than But Not Equal To

Unicode U+2268

Mathematical Operators

Hex Code &#x2268;

Hexadecimal reference

HTML Code &#8808;

Decimal reference

Named Entity &lnE;

Most readable option

Reference Table
Name           Value
────────────   ──────────
Unicode        U+2268
Hex code       &#x2268;
HTML code      &#8808;
Named entity   &lnE;
CSS code       \2268
Meaning        Less-than but not equal to
Related        U+2269 = greater-than but not equal (≩ / &gnE;)
               U+2264 = less-than or equal (≤ / &le;)
1

Complete HTML Example

A simple example showing the Less Than But Not Equal To (≨) using the named entity, hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, and a CSS content escape:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
 <style>
  #point:after{
   content: "\2268";
  }
 </style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Symbol (hex): &#x2268;</p>
<p>Symbol (decimal): &#8808;</p>
<p>Symbol (named): &lnE;</p>
<p id="point">Symbol (CSS): </p>
</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself

🌐 Browser Support

The Less Than But Not Equal To (≨) is universally supported in all modern browsers when the font includes Mathematical Operators glyphs:

Chrome 1+
Firefox 1+
Safari 1+
Edge 12+
Opera 4+
Android 4.4+
iOS Safari 1+

👀 Live Preview

See the Less Than But Not Equal To (≨) rendered live in different contexts:

Inline math x ≨ y means x is strictly less than y (not equal).
Large glyph ≨
Inequality pair ≨ ≩
Named vs numeric &lnE; &#x2268; &#8808; \2268
vs less-than or equal ≨ vs ≤
Constraint a ≨ b ≤ c (strict then inclusive bound)

🧠 How It Works

1

Hexadecimal Code

&#x2268; uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 2268 for less-than but not equal to. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.

HTML markup
2

Decimal HTML Code

&#8808; uses the decimal Unicode value 8808 to display the same character.

HTML markup
3

Named Entity

&lnE; is the semantic named entity — the easiest to read in source HTML for this strict inequality symbol.

HTML markup
4

CSS Entity

\2268 is used in CSS stylesheets in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::after.

CSS stylesheet
=

Same visual result

All four methods produce ≨. Unicode U+2268 is in the Mathematical Operators block. Previous: Less Than Above Left Arrow.

✅

Use Cases

The Less Than But Not Equal To (≨) is commonly used in:

∑ Mathematical Expressions

Represent strict inequality (less than but not equal) in equations and proofs.

📄 Technical Documentation

Document comparison rules, ordering, or constraints that exclude equality.

💻 Programming & Logic

Describe comparison operators or conditions in specs and tutorials.

📚 Academic Papers

Use in mathematics, computer science, or logic papers for precise inequality notation.

📊 Data & Comparisons

Show ordering or ranking rules where equality is explicitly excluded.

🌐 Web Applications

Use in formula editors, calculators, or comparison UI where strict less-than is needed.

💡 Best Practices

Do

  • Prefer &lnE; when writing HTML by hand for readability
  • Pair the symbol with text or MathML where possible for accessibility
  • Verify your font supports Mathematical Operators (U+2268)
  • Keep one entity style per project for consistency
  • Use ≨ when equality must be explicitly excluded from “less than”

Don’t

  • Confuse ≨ with ≤ (less-than or equal / &le;)
  • Confuse ≨ with ≩ (greater-than but not equal / &gnE;)
  • Use plain < when the mathematical symbol ≨ is required
  • Use CSS \2268 inside HTML text nodes
  • Mix entity styles randomly in one file

Key Takeaways

1

Four methods all render ≨

&lnE; &#x2268; &#8808;
2

For CSS, use \2268 in the content property

3

Unicode U+2268 — LESS-THAN BUT NOT EQUAL TO

4

Named entity &lnE; is the most readable option

5

Previous: Less Than Above Left Arrow   Next: Less Than But Not Equivalent To

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Use &lnE; (named), &#x2268; (hex), &#8808; (decimal), or \2268 in CSS content. All four methods render ≨ correctly.
U+2268 (LESS-THAN BUT NOT EQUAL TO). Mathematical Operators block (U+2200–U+22FF). Hex 2268, decimal 8808. Denotes strict less-than excluding equality.
In mathematical expressions and equations, technical documentation, programming and comparison logic, academic papers, and any content requiring a strict less-than (excluding equality) comparison symbol.
HTML references (&#8808;, &#x2268;, or &lnE;) go in markup. The CSS escape \2268 is used in stylesheets, typically on ::before or ::after. Both produce ≨.
Yes. &lnE; is the named HTML entity for U+2268. You can also use &#8808; (decimal), &#x2268; (hex), or \2268 in CSS.

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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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