U+2212 "−" Minus Sign Unicode Character
Unicode Version 17.0
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U+2212 "−" Minus Sign is a dedicated typographic symbol distinct from the hyphen-minus found on standard keyboards, designed specifically for representing subtraction, negative numbers, and mathematical operations in formal writing and programming contexts. It appears as a longer, more centered horizontal line than the regular hyphen, ensuring clarity and preventing confusion in equations, data tables, and technical documentation. This character is widely used in mathematics, science, and finance to maintain consistent formatting across digital platforms, and its inclusion in Unicode allows for precise, unambiguous representation of mathematical expressions in plain text.
General Properties
| Code Point | U+2212 |
| Version Added | 1.1 |
| Name | Minus Sign |
| Block | Mathematical Operators |
| General Category | Math Symbol |
| Canonical Combining Class | Not Reordered |
| Bidirectional Class | European Separator |
Encodings
| HTML Decimal Encoding | − |
| HTML Hex Encoding | − |
| UTF-8 Encoding | 0xE2 0x88 0x92 |
| UTF-16 Encoding | 0x2212 |
| UTF-32 Encoding | 0x00002212 |
| C/C++/Java Escape | \u2212 |
Unicode Properties
| NFC Quick Check | Yes |
| NFD Quick Check | Yes |
| NFKC Quick Check | Yes |
| NFKD Quick Check | Yes |
| Numeric Type | None |
| Numeric Value | NaN |
| Line Break | Prefix Numeric |
| Script | Common |
| Script Extensions | Common |
| Indic Syllabic Category | Other |
| Pattern Syntax | Yes |
| Dash | Yes |
| Math | Yes |
| Vertical Orientation | Rotated |
| Grapheme Base | Yes |
| Grapheme Cluster Break | Other |
| Word Break | Other |
| Sentence Break | Other |