White Up-Pointing Triangle

Context decides what △ means. In geometry, △ABC denotes a triangle with vertices A, B, and C. In astrology, the same outline marks a trine, a relationship between two planets.

Ancient triangle motifs appear on Iberian slate plaques dated 3000–2500 BCE. Their purpose is debated: proposed readings include heraldic, social, or genealogical uses. They show that people used triangle forms long before computers, but do not establish the origin or one original meaning of this exact character.

Why can △ mean “not so good”?

In Japanese evaluation, it marks a middling result. Read as sankaku, Japanese for “triangle,” △ can mean “not so good.” Alongside ○ for a good result and × for a negative one, it signals a middling rating; Japanese accounting also uses it for a minus-like value.

△ is a text character, so fonts can change its stroke weight and proportions. A heavier or narrower outline may look different, but it remains the same character.