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Minus sign
U+2212 · Mathematical Operators
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Meaning and uses
The true minus sign, the same width as the plus sign. The hyphen on your keyboard is shorter and sits lower, so 5 − 3 looks better with the real minus.
Unicode details
− is the Unicode character named MINUS SIGN, code point U+2212, in the Mathematical Operators block. It was added in Unicode 1.1 in 1993, and Unicode classes it as a maths symbol (general category Sm).
It is not an emoji, so it keeps the colour and size of the text around it.
| Unicode name | MINUS SIGN |
|---|---|
| Code point | U+2212 |
| Block | Mathematical Operators |
| Added | Unicode 1.1 (1993) |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 88 92 |
| UTF-16 | 2212 |
| HTML | − or − |
Tap a code to copy it:
How to type −
- On any device, tap the copy button above, then paste with a long press on a phone, Ctrl+V on Windows or Cmd+V on a Mac.
- In Microsoft Word on Windows, type 2212 and then press Alt+X to turn the code into −.
- On a Mac, press Control+Cmd+Space to open the Character Viewer, then search for “minus sign”.
- On Linux, most desktops accept Ctrl+Shift+U, then 2212, then Space or Enter.
- In HTML, use
−or−. In a CSScontentproperty, use"\2212".