Not equal to sign

An equals sign struck through by a diagonal stroke, meaning inequality.

Also known as: Inequality sign, Does not equal, Crossed equals sign

MathematicalScientificKeyboard & punctuationStandard profile

Meanings

The not-equal sign states that two quantities differ. It follows the general convention that a stroke through a relation negates it.

Common modern usageVerified fact
States that two quantities are not equal, as in 2 ≠ 3.
Contexts: Mathematics
Common modern usageVerified fact
Follows the general mathematical convention that a diagonal stroke through a relation negates that relation.
Contexts: Mathematics

Two short parallel horizontal strokes crossed by a single diagonal stroke.

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is defined by a current official standard.

Inequality (mathematics)
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-30
Tertiary reference. Used for widely-agreed identity and origin summary, not for contested detail or exact dates.
Unicode Code Chart: Mathematical Operators (U+2200–U+22FF)
The Unicode Consortium · retrieved 2026-07-30
Authoritative for the character's code point, name and block only. Unicode assigns identity; it does not define what a symbol means in use.

Last reviewed 2026-07-30