Today's article will teach you how to use the keyboard to type greater than or equal to the symbol (≥) anywhere, such as in Word/Excel on Windows or Mac.
Before we start, I want to say that you can also use the button below to copy and paste the greater than equals symbol into your work for free.
However, if you just want to type this symbol on your keyboard, the handy steps below will show you the way.
Index
Symbol greater than or equal to [≥] quick help
not to enterGreater than or equal to symbolPress on a MacOption + [. ]shortcut on your keyboard. For Windows users, just press the Alt key and type242(that is, greater than or equal to the alt codes) using the numpad and release the alt key.
These keys work in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint on Windows and Mac.
The following table contains all the key combinations needed to type the greater than equals symbol on the keyboard.
symbol name | better than or equal to |
Symbol | ≥ |
alternative code | 242 |
Direct Access for Windows | Alt+242 |
Shortcut for Mac | Option + [. ] |
Shortcut in Word (Win) | 2265, Alt+X |

The quick guide above provides some useful keyboard shortcuts and workarounds for entering the greater than equals sign on Windows and Mac. However, below are other methods you can use to include this symbol in your work, such as: B. in a Word or Excel document.
Related: How to writeSign less than or equal to
Insert greater or equal symbol [≥] in Word/Excel
Microsoft Office offers several methods to enter "greater than or equal to" or to enter symbols that do not have dedicated keys on the keyboard.
In this section, I will provide you with five different methods to type or paste the greater than equals sign on your PC just like in MS Office (i.e. Word, Excel or PowerPoint) for Mac and Windows users.
Without further ado, let's get started.
Using symbol alt code greater than or equal to [≥] (Windows only)
Alternate code is greater than or equal to symbol242.
Although the greater than equals symbol does not have a dedicated key on the keyboard, you can still type it on the keyboard using the alternate code method. To do this, hold down the Alt key while typing the greater than or equals symbol alt code (242) on the numeric keypad.
This method only works on Windows. And your keyboard should also have a numeric keypad.

Below is a breakdown of the steps you can take to type ≥ on your Windows PC:
- Place the insertion pointer where you need the greater than or equal to symbol.
- Hold down one of the Alt keys on your keyboard.
- While holding down the Alt key, press the alt code greater than or equal to the symbol (242). You must use the numeric keypad to enter the alternate code. If you are using a laptop without a numeric keypad, this method may not work for you. On some laptops, there is a hidden number pad that you can press to activate it.Fn+NmLknot keyboard.
- Release the Alt key after typing the ≥ character alt code to paste the symbol into your document.

This is how you can type this symbol in Word using the alternate code method.
Using the greater than or equal to symbol link (Mac and Windows)
For Mac users, the keyboard shortcut is for the greater than or equal to symbol.Option + [. ]. For Windows users, use the alt code method by pressing the key[Alternative]while typing the alt code of the ≥ character which is242.
You must use the numeric keypad to enter the alternate code. Also, make sure that the Num Lock key is turned on.

Here's a breakdown of the ≥ icon hotkey for Mac:
- First, place the insert pointer where you need to write the≥Symbol.
- press nowOption + [. ]simultaneously on your keyboard to enter the symbol.
Here is a breakdown of the ≥ icon shortcut for Windows:
- Position the insertion pointer where you want.
- Hold down the Alt key
- While holding down the Alt key, type 242 on the number pad to enter the symbol.
Here's a breakdown of how to write greater than or equal to the abbreviation symbol in Word:
- Click to place the insertion pointer where you need the symbol.
- Then type 2265, select it and pressAlt+X.
Here are the steps you can use to type ≥ in Word or Excel.
Copy and paste greater or equal signs
Another easy way to get the greater than equals symbol on any PC is to use my favorite method:copy and paste.
All you have to do is copy the icon from somewhere like a web page or Character Map for Windows users and go where you need the icon (for example, in Word or Excel) and press Ctrl + V to paste.
Below is the icon that you can copy and paste into your Word document. Just select it and press Ctrl+C to copy, switch to Microsoft Word, place the paste pointer where you want, and press Ctrl+V to paste.
≥
Alternatively, just use the copy button at the top of this post.
For Windows users, follow the instructions below to copy and paste the greater than or equal to symbol using the Character Map dialog.
- click on itTo startand look for Character Map. The Character Map app will appear in the search results, click to open.

- The Character Map dialog box appears. Click here to checkextended viewselection boxto expand the advanced options dialog.

- Enter enlarged viewbetter than or equal toin the search field.
- You should now see Greater than or equal to in the Character Map dialog box. If you can't see it, you have to search the symbol library to find it. When you find it, double-click on it to select it. Alternatively, clickChooseI like it.
- After double-clicking on the icon, it should appear on theCharacter to copy:field and click on itcopy ofButton to copy the symbol.

- Switch to the Microsoft Word or Excel document, place the insertion pointer where you want, and press Ctrl+V to paste.
This is how you can use the Character Map dialog to copy and paste any symbol on a Windows PC.
Using the Insert Symbol dialog (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
The Insert Symbol dialog is a library of symbols that allows you to insert any symbol into your Word document with just a few clicks.
Follow the steps below to insert the greater than or equals symbol in Word using the Insert Symbol dialog box.
- Open your Word document.
- Click to place the insertion pointer where you want to insert the symbol.
- Switch to the Insert tab.

- In the Symbols category, click the Symbol dropdown menu and select itmore symbolsI like it.

- The Icon dialog box appears. In itsubsetSelect the drop down menuMath Operatorsto display the symbols in that category that contain the greater or equal symbol.
- Select the icon and click the Insert button. Alternatively, double-click the icon to paste it into your Word document.

- Closes the dialog box.
The symbol is then inserted exactly where you placed the insertion pointer.
Here are the steps you can use to insert a greater than or equal to symbol in Word.
Diploma
As you can see, there are different methods you can use to type the greater than equals sign in Microsoft Word.
Using Windows and Mac shortcuts is the fastest option for this task. Shortcuts are always fast.
Thank you for reading this blog.
If you have something to say or questions about the greater or equal symbol, leave it in the comments.
FAQs
How do I type greater than or equal to in Excel? ›
The “greater than or equal to” symbol (>=) is written in Excel by typing the “greater than” (>) sign followed by the “equal to” (=) operator.
How do you text greater than or equal to? ›The greater than symbol is >. So, 9>7 is read as '9 is greater than 7'. The less than symbol is <. Two other comparison symbols are ≥ (greater than or equal to) and ≤ (less than or equal to).
How do you write greater than or equal to in symbols? ›- The symbol ≤ means less than or equal to.
- The symbol ≥ means greater than or equal to.
- ALT + 6 + 0 for Less Than ( < )
- ALT + 6 + 2 for Greater Than ( > )
Greater than or Equal to Symbol
The symbol is used in mathematical expression for the statements “at least, not less than, and minimum.”
In Excel, <> means not equal to. The <> operator in Excel checks if two values are not equal to each other. Let's take a look at a few examples. 1.
What is the <> operator in Excel? ›An operator sign is a symbol that indicates a type of computation between cells and/or integers and are often used in the more straightforward types of calculations in Excel. Excel distinguishes four types of operator signs: arithmetic, comparison, text and reference.
Can I use <= In Excel? ›You can use the 'less than or equal to (<=)' operator with text, date, and number as well as with Excel functions to compare values in Excel. 'Less Than or Equal to' operator (<=) is one of the six logical operators (also known as the comparison operators) used in Microsoft Excel to compare values.
What is the character code for greater than symbol? ›The 'greater-than sign' > is an original ASCII character (hex 3E, decimal 62).
How do you use ≤? ›Less than is represented by '<' and less than or equal to is represented by ' ≤ '. Less than means that the variable or quantity has to have a value less than the given limit whereas less than or equal to means that the variable or quantity has to be equal to or less than the given limit.
What symbol you will use if you have ≥ and ≤? ›
Symbol | Words | Example Use |
---|---|---|
> | greater than | 5 > 2 |
< | less than | 7 < 9 |
≥ | greater than or equal to | marbles ≥ 1 |
≤ | less than or equal to | dogs ≤ 3 |
The greater than or equal ( >= ) operator returns true if the left operand is greater than or equal to the right operand, and false otherwise.
How do you insert a greater than symbol in Excel? ›Insert 'Greater Than or Equal to' Symbol Using Keyboard Shortcut. If you are used to working with shortcut codes then you can easily insert the greater than or equal to symbol using the shortcut- ALT + 242. It's one of the fastest ways to insert a symbol.
How do you make an inequality sign on a keyboard? ›- To type ≤, hold down the Alt key, type 2264 on the NumPad, then release Alt.
- To type ≥, hold down the Alt key, type 2265 on the NumPad, then release Alt.
The notation a ≤ b or a ⩽ b means that a is less than or equal to b (or, equivalently, at most b, or not greater than b). The notation a ≥ b or a ⩾ b means that a is greater than or equal to b (or, equivalently, at least b, or not less than b).
What is the other name for greater than symbol? ›It is properly referred to by mathematicians and everyone else as the "greater than" symbol. However, it can be described/defined as a chevron or an inverted chevron.
How do you write greater than 3? ›In order to indicate if a number is greater than or less than another, we use the symbols > and <. For example, 10 is greater than 3, so we write it 10 > 3. If we want to write 2 is less than 6, we write 2 < 6.
How do you insert special characters in Excel? ›Go to Insert > Symbol > More Symbols. Go to Special Characters. Double-click the character that you want to insert. Select Close.
How do I select symbols in Excel? ›- Click the Insert tab in the Excel Ribbon.
- On the right side of the Insert tab, click Symbols, then click the Symbol button. ...
- You can select symbols from different groups by clicking on the Subsets drop-down. ...
- As with the alphabet and numbers, symbols will vary in form across different font sets.
For example, to determine if the value in cell B2 is greater than five, you could use the formula =B2>5. All formulas in Excel begin with an equal sign, so the first symbol there is introducing the formula, not specifying anything about equality. To see if it's less than or equal to five, you'd use the formula =B2<=5.
What are the 4 operators? ›
- arithmetic operators.
- relational operators.
- logical operators.
F7 Displays the Spelling dialog box to check spelling in the active worksheet or selected range. Ctrl+F7 performs the Move command on the workbook window when it is not maximized. Use the arrow keys to move the window, and when finished press Enter, or Esc to cancel. F8 Turns extend mode on or off.
What are the Ctrl shortcuts in Excel? ›- To create a new workbook. Ctrl + N.
- To open an existing workbook. Ctrl + O.
- To save a workbook/spreadsheet. Ctrl + S.
- To close the current workbook. Ctrl + W.
- To close Excel. Ctrl + F4.
- To move to the next sheet. Ctrl + PageDown.
- To move to the previous sheet. Ctrl + PageUp.
- To go to the Data tab. Alt + A.
- Overview of formulas in Excel. Article.
- XLOOKUP. Article.
- VLOOKUP. Article.
- SUM function. Article.
- COUNTIF function. Article.
- IF function. Article.
- IFS. Article.
- SUMIF. Article.
An ampersand (&) is a typographical symbol that is rarely used in formal writing. It is read aloud as the word and and is used as a substitute for that word in informal writing and in the names of products or businesses.
What is the use of this symbol (;)? ›Semicolon ( ; )
Semicolons connect independent clauses to show a closer relationship between the clauses than a period would. They can also separate items in a list that already include commas.
Use a semicolon to join two related independent clauses in place of a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet). Make sure when you use the semicolon that the connection between the two independent clauses is clear without the coordinating conjunction.
What are examples of ≥? ›"≥" means "greater than or equal to"
For example, if I say "x is greater than or equal to −6" (x≥−6), it means that x could be any number that's above −6, OR it could be equal to −6. Put another way, if x does not equal −6, then it must be bigger than −6.
The line below the greater sign means “equal to”. For example, x ≥ 6 means that x is either greater than or equal to 6.
How do you write greater than 5? ›The symbol used to represent greater than is “>” and less than is “<”. If one value is larger than the other value, we use greater than. Similarly, if we want to represent one value that is less than the other value, we use less than. For example, 5 is greater than 5.
What type of operators are these <= >= == !=? ›
Equality operators: == and !=
The result type for these operators is bool . The equal-to operator ( == ) returns true if both operands have the same value; otherwise, it returns false .
Relational Operators
It is used to compare two numbers by checking whether they are equal or not, less than, less than or equal to, greater than, greater than or equal to. == (Equal to)– This operator is used to check if both operands are equal. != (Not equal to)– Can check if both operands are not equal.
Operator name | Syntax |
---|---|
Greater than or equal to | a >= b |
Less than or equal to | a <= b |
Three-way comparison | a <=> b |
The quickest shortcut to type the Greater Than or Equal to Symbol is [ALT] + 242 for Windows and Option + [ > ] for Mac. To use the Windows shortcut, press down the [ALT] key and type 242 using the numeric keypad. For Mac, press and hold the Option key then hit once on the > key.
How do you type the less than or equal to sign in Word? ›What is this? Typing the Alt code 2264 and pressing Alt+X will insert the less than or equal to symbol into your document.
How do you use symbols in typing? ›Inserting ASCII characters
To insert an ASCII character, press and hold down ALT while typing the character code. For example, to insert the degree (º) symbol, press and hold down ALT while typing 0176 on the numeric keypad. You must use the numeric keypad to type the numbers, and not the keyboard.
ALT+242. To type greater than or equal to ≥ on your computer, Just hold down the Alt key while typing the alt key code 242 on the numeric keypad of your keyboard.
How do you put a less than or equal to sign in Excel? ›For example, to determine if the value in cell B2 is greater than five, you could use the formula =B2>5. All formulas in Excel begin with an equal sign, so the first symbol there is introducing the formula, not specifying anything about equality. To see if it's less than or equal to five, you'd use the formula =B2<=5.
When should you use the symbols ≥ and ≤ How about symbols and? ›This symbol < means less than, for example 2 < 4 means that 2 is less than 4. This symbol > means greater than, for example 4 > 2. ≤ ≥ These symbols mean 'less than or equal to' and 'greater than or equal to' and are commonly used in algebra. In computer applications <= and >= are used.