SymbolHub

Infinity Symbol (∞)

The infinity symbol ∞ is Unicode U+221E, the sideways eight that stands for a quantity without end. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard, or type it with Alt + 236 on Windows or Option + 5 on a Mac.

Unicode
U+221E
HTML
∞
Windows
Alt + 236
Mac
Option + 5

How to type the infinity symbol (∞)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ∞ yourself, use the method for your device below. On a Mac it is Option + 5.

Windows

  1. Hold Alt and type 236 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 221E 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 Infinity, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Infinity symbol on Windows

Mac

  1. Press Option+5. On the standard US and US-International layouts.
  2. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for infinity and double-click it.

Infinity symbol on Mac

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 221e, 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 ;infi. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Infinity symbol on iPhone

Android

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

Infinity symbol on Android

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 221E, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 221E in “Character code” and click Insert.
  3. On a Mac, Option+5 works in Word too.

Google Docs

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

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(8734) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ∞ or ∞ in your HTML.

What does ∞ mean?

∞ stands for something without bound. The English mathematician John Wallis introduced it in 1655, and it has been the standard sign for infinity ever since. Its shape is called a lemniscate, from the Latin for a ribbon.

In calculus ∞ never behaves like an ordinary number. Writing limx→∞ means “as x grows without limit”, and an interval such as [0, ∞) is open at the infinite end, so it always takes a round bracket. Expressions like ∞ − ∞ or ∞ / ∞ are indeterminate forms that have to be resolved with a limit, not by arithmetic.

Outside maths the sign has become shorthand for “forever”: it appears on jewellery, tattoos and in phrases such as “friends ∞”. The coloured emoji ♾️ is a separate character (U+267E) that exists for that decorative use.

Common uses

  • Limits and improper integrals: ∫₁∞ 1/x² dx = 1
  • Unbounded intervals: (−∞, 0]
  • Unlimited quantities in plans and price lists: “Storage: ∞”
  • Decorative “forever” in bios and messages

Infinity 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+221E
HTML entity (named)∞
HTML decimal∞
HTML hex∞
CSS contentcontent: "\221E";
JavaScript"\u221E"
Python"\u221E"
Python (by name)"\N{INFINITY}"
Java / C#"\u221E"
LaTeX\infty
UTF-8 bytesE2 88 9E
UTF-16221E
URL encoded%E2%88%9E
Alt code (CP437)Alt + 236
Mac shortcutOption + 5

∞ 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
Permanent Paper
U+267E		Permanent paper sign, the character behind the ♾️ emoji. Use it for decoration, not in equations.
Proportional to
U+221D		Proportional to. It looks like an open infinity sign, but a ∝ b means a grows in step with b.
Digit Eight
U+0038		The digit eight turned on its side is not a character; rotating an 8 with CSS reads as “eight” to screen readers.
Oo
U+A74F		Latin small letter “oo”, a medieval ligature. It resembles ∞ in some fonts.

Symbols similar to ∞

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

∞ character properties

Official Unicode name
INFINITY
Also known as
infinity sign, lemniscate, infinite symbol
Code point
U+221E
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

Who invented the infinity symbol?

John Wallis used ∞ in his 1655 treatise on conic sections. Historians think he may have adapted the Roman numeral CIↃ, which was used for 1,000 and more generally for “very many”.

Is ∞ a number?

Not in ordinary arithmetic. It marks a quantity that grows without limit. Extended number systems, such as the extended real line used in analysis, add +∞ and −∞ as special points with their own rules.

What is the alt code for the infinity symbol?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 236 on the numeric keypad to get ∞. On a laptop without a keypad, copy it from this page or use 221E then Alt + X in Word.

How do I type the infinity symbol on a Mac?

Press Option + 5. It works in every app on the US keyboard layout. You can also open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search for it.

What is the HTML code for the infinity symbol?

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

What is the Unicode for the infinity symbol?

∞ is U+221E, officially named INFINITY, in the Mathematical Operators block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).