The symbol < usually means “less than” in math and science. For example, 3<53<53<5 means 3 is smaller than 5.

What it means

  • In equations, it compares two values.
  • It tells you the number on the left is smaller than the number on the right.
  • In some contexts, symbols can mean different things depending on where they appear.

Example

  • x<yx<yx<y means x is less than y.

If you meant another symbol

If you can send the exact symbol or a picture of it, I can identify it more precisely.