Triple nested less-than

Q: Why does ⫷ show as a box on some devices?

Not every system ships a font for the Supplemental Mathematical Operators block. Where none is installed, the character shows as an empty box; adding a font such as Noto fixes it. The character itself is still correct and copies correctly.

⫷ is a mathematical sign made of three nested less-than angles. Read it as an emphatic “less than” or “much smaller than” in mathematical notation; the three angles do not mean “three times smaller.” It is one character, not three separate less-than signs.

Text symbol

What ⫷ means

The familiar less-than sign compares two quantities, with the smaller one on the left. ⫷ builds on that shape to express a stronger comparison. “Nested” describes the three angles fitted inside one another.

The shape alone does not specify a numerical ratio or how large the difference must be. For a calculation or proof, follow the author's definition of the relation. Typing <<< produces three separate characters, not ⫷.

Part of the collection

╭

Border & Frame Symbols

Worth knowing

In 2001, the proposed name for ⫷ and changed from “stacked” to “triple nested,” aligning the pair with the existing double-nested signs and .

Questions people ask

Why does ⫷ show as a box on some devices?

Not every system ships a font for the Supplemental Mathematical Operators block. Where none is installed, the character shows as an empty box; adding a font such as Noto fixes it. The character itself is still correct and copies correctly.