Minus Sign (−)
The minus sign − is Unicode U+2212, the true mathematical minus, as wide as the plus sign. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.
- Unicode
U+2212- HTML
−- Word
2212 Alt+X
How to type the minus sign (−)
The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type − yourself, use the method for your device below.
Windows
- In Word or Outlook, type 2212 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
- Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Minus Sign, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.
Mac
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for minus and double-click it.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 2212.
Linux & ChromeOS
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2212, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.
iPhone & iPad
- Copy − from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;minu. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.
Android
- Copy − here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.
Microsoft Word
- Type 2212, then press Alt + X.
- Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 2212 in “Character code” and click Insert.
Google Docs
- Insert → Special characters, then search for “minus” or draw it in the box.
Excel & Google Sheets
- Enter
=UNICHAR(8722)in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.
HTML
- Write
−or−in your HTML.
What does − mean?
The keyboard key most people call “minus” actually types the hyphen-minus (-), a compromise character from typewriter days. The true minus sign − is a separate character, drawn exactly as wide as + and at the same height, so the two line up in equations and tables. Typographers and the SI brochure use it for subtraction and negative numbers: −5 °C, 10 − 3.
Two cautions. First, software often needs the hyphen: Excel, Python and JavaScript will not recognise −5 as a number, so keep the hyphen in data and formulas and use − only in displayed text. Second, the en dash – looks similar but is a punctuation mark for ranges (pages 4–9), not a mathematical sign.
Common uses
- Negative temperatures and values in print: −12 °C
- Equations in documents and slides: a − b
- Financial tables where negatives must align with plus signs
Minus Sign 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 point | U+2212 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML entity (named) | − | |
| HTML decimal | − | |
| HTML hex | − | |
| CSS content | content: "\2212"; | |
| JavaScript | "\u2212" | |
| Python | "\u2212" | |
| Python (by name) | "\N{MINUS SIGN}" | |
| Java / C# | "\u2212" | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 88 92 | |
| UTF-16 | 2212 | |
| URL encoded | %E2%88%92 |
− 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.
Symbols similar to −
Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full dash symbols collection.
− character properties
- Official Unicode name
- MINUS SIGN
- Also known as
- true minus, subtraction sign, negative sign, unicode minus
- Code point
- U+2212
- 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
Is the minus sign the same as a hyphen?
No. The hyphen-minus (-) on your keyboard is a compromise character. The true minus − (U+2212) is wider and aligned with +. Use − in typeset text and - in code.
Why does my spreadsheet not calculate numbers with −?
Spreadsheets only recognise the hyphen-minus as a negative sign. Replace − with - (Find and Replace) before calculating.
Is there an alt code for the minus sign?
No. − is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 2212 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.
How do I type the minus sign 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 “minus” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.
What is the HTML code for the minus sign?
Use the named entity − or the numeric reference − (hex −). All three display − in every browser.
What is the Unicode for the minus sign?
− is U+2212, officially named MINUS SIGN, in the Mathematical Operators block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).