SymbolHub

Identical To Symbol (≡)

The identical to symbol ≡ is Unicode U+2261, the triple bar for identity and congruence. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard, or type it with Alt + 240 on Windows.

Unicode
U+2261
HTML
≡
Windows
Alt + 240

How to type the identical to symbol (≡)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ≡ yourself, use the method for your device below.

Windows

  1. Hold Alt and type 240 on the numeric keypad. This older code (from code page 437) works in Notepad, Word and most desktop apps.
  2. In Word or Outlook, type 2261 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  3. Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Identical to, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for identical to and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 2261.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2261, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Copy ≡ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;iden. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. Copy ≡ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 2261, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 2261 in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “identical to” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(8801) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ≡ or ≡ in your HTML.

What does ≡ mean?

≡, the triple bar, has three main readings. In number theory it means congruence: 17 ≡ 2 (mod 5), a notation Carl Friedrich Gauss introduced in 1801. In algebra it marks an identity that holds for every value, such as (a + b)² ≡ a² + 2ab + b². In logic it can mean material equivalence, and in definitions it means “is defined as”. In the menu of a web app, three bars ☰ are a different symbol entirely.

Common uses

  • Modular arithmetic: 38 ≡ 3 (mod 7)
  • Identities and definitions: f(x) ≡ 0

Identical To Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces ≡. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Unicode code pointU+2261
HTML entity (named)≡
HTML decimal≡
HTML hex≡
CSS contentcontent: "\2261";
JavaScript"\u2261"
Python"\u2261"
Python (by name)"\N{IDENTICAL TO}"
Java / C#"\u2261"
LaTeX\equiv
UTF-8 bytesE2 89 A1
UTF-162261
URL encoded%E2%89%A1
Alt code (CP437)Alt + 240

≡ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to ≡ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

CharNameWhen to use it
Equals
U+003D		Equals sign.
Trigram for Heaven
U+2630		Trigram for heaven, used as the “hamburger” menu icon.
Not Identical to
U+2262		Not identical to.

Symbols similar to ≡

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full math symbols collection.

≡ character properties

Official Unicode name
IDENTICAL TO
Also known as
triple bar, congruence sign, equivalent to, identically equal
Code point
U+2261
Unicode block
Mathematical Operators (U+2200–U+22FF)
General category
Math symbol (Sm)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
No, it is a text symbol

Frequently asked questions

What does ≡ mean in modular arithmetic?

a ≡ b (mod n) means a and b leave the same remainder when divided by n, for example 14 ≡ 2 (mod 12).

What is the alt code for the identical to symbol?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 240 on the numeric keypad to get ≡. On a laptop without a keypad, copy it from this page or use 2261 then Alt + X in Word.

How do I type the identical to symbol on a Mac?

There is no single Option shortcut for ≡ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “identical to” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the identical to symbol?

Use the named entity ≡ or the numeric reference ≡ (hex ≡). All three display ≡ in every browser.

What is the Unicode for the identical to symbol?

≡ is U+2261, officially named IDENTICAL TO, in the Mathematical Operators block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).