HTML Entity - Less Than ("opening Bracket")
Less Than ("opening Bracket") is a reserved HTML characters and special typographic symbols. This HTML entity enables web developers to display this character reliably across all browsers without encoding issues.
U+0003C
<
\003C
Use < to display a less-than sign without breaking HTML parsing. For example, to show a code snippet: <div>Hello</div> renders as <div>Hello</div>. In mathematics: 5 < 10 renders as 5 < 10.
About Less Than ("opening Bracket")
The less-than sign (<) is the character that starts every HTML tag. Because of that, a literal < in page content must be written as <; otherwise the browser treats it as the beginning of markup and the rest of the document can break.
The character comes from a cursive form of the letter l used in medieval manuscripts, where it was shorthand for the Latin word "libra". It has been used as a comparison operator, meaning "is less than", in mathematics and later in programming languages.
Encoding by context: in HTML content use <. In attribute values use < as well. In XML a bare < is illegal and must always be escaped. In CSS write the CSS escape. In JavaScript a literal < inside a string or comparison is fine because the language parses it directly.
A useful contrast is that browsers are lenient about a bare > (greater-than) and will often render it, but they are not lenient about <, because < unambiguously introduces a tag. For valid, predictable markup, escape both.
Common situations where < must be escaped are showing HTML or XML code samples, writing mathematical comparisons such as "a < b", documenting template syntax, and displaying generic type parameters in programming articles such as List<String>.
Related characters are ≤ or ≤ for "less than or equal to" (≤) and < for strict inequality. Keeping them distinct matters in both mathematical writing and documentation, where confusing < with ≤ changes the meaning of a statement.
Whenever you publish code, markup, or formulas, escaping < correctly is what lets the reader see the symbols you intend instead of triggering the browser's parser.
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using < directly in HTML content instead of <
Fix: Always use < to display a less-than sign in HTML. Otherwise the browser treats it as the start of an HTML tag.
Mistake: Confusing < (less-than) with ≤ (less-than-or-equal)
Fix: Use < for strict inequality and ≤ (≤) for inclusive inequality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the HTML entity for a less-than sign?
Use <. The equivalent numeric forms are < and <, and all three render the same < character.
Why must I escape < in HTML?
Because < begins an HTML tag. A raw < is interpreted as markup, which breaks rendering. Writing < tells the browser to show a literal less-than sign.
Is < the same as < and \u003C?
Yes. <, < (decimal) and < (hex) all describe the same code point, U+003C. Choose the form that reads best in your content.
Do I also need to escape the greater-than sign?
Browsers usually tolerate a bare >, but valid HTML and XML expect >. Escaping both < and > is the safest, most consistent habit.
How do I display the text "<div>" on a page?
Write <div> in your source. The browser then displays the characters <div> without interpreting them as a real element.
What is the difference between < and ≤?
< means strictly less than, while ≤ (entity ≤, code point U+2264) means less than or equal to. Mixing them up changes the meaning of a comparison.
Less Than ("opening Bracket")
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| Unicode | U+0003C |
|---|---|
| Hex Code | < |
| HTML Code | < |
| HTML Entity | < |
| CSS Code | \003C |
| Windows Shortcut | |
| Mac Shortcut | |