− | Minus Symbol (Meaning, How To Type on Keyboard, & More) - Symbol Hippo (2024)

A Minus sign is a symbol made up of ashort horizontal line used to represent negative expressions. It is also used to indicate the subtraction of two numbers or expressions. The Minus symbol is available in standard HTML as − and in Unicode, it is the character at code point U+02212 and 8722 in decimal notation.

Please see below for more information about this Symbol and how to use or type it in various programs and applications such as Microsoft Word (Word), Google Docs (Docs), HTML, and more.

Copy Minus Symbol Text

There’s no better way to get the Minus Symbol text than to simply copy and paste.

You can use the copy button above to save yourself some time.

Once it has been copied, you can paste it anywhere by pressing Ctrl and V simultaneously on your keyboard.

Minus Symbol Information Table

Check out the table below to learn more about the Minus Symbol.

Much of what you may need to know about this Symbol can be found in this table, which includes keyboard shortcuts, Alt code, Unicode, HTML code, and more.

We’ve included the following sections to help you learn more about typing or getting the Minus symbol.

How to Type or Insert the Minus Sign

There are several other ways to get this Symbol, even though there’s already a dedicated key for it on the keyboard.

Using Microsoft Office or Google Docs, you can quickly insert this Symbol in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Google Docs by following a few simple steps.

Below are the methods for accessing this Symbol, including keyboard shortcuts and methods.

The Symbol for Minus Alt Code (Keyboard Shortcut)

The Minus Symbol Alt Code is Alt + 8722.

NOTE: This Alt Code works in MS Word on Windows only.

To type the Minus symbol on the keyboard, press and hold the Alt key and enter the Minus Alt code (8722) on the right−hand numeric keypad, then release the Alt key.

The following are step−by−step instructions on how to type the Minus symbol on your keyboard.

• Open the document where you want to type the Symbol.
• Click and place the insertion pointer at the desired location.
• Press and hold down the Alt key.
• Enter the Minus Alt Code (8722).
• After typing the code, let go of the Alt key.

After releasing the Alt key, the Symbol (−) will appear exactly where you’ve placed your cursor.

Insert Minus Symbol in Word/Excel/PowerPoint

You can quickly insert the Minus sign in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint by using simple mouse navigation.

If you want to insert the Symbol for Minus in Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, follow the instructions below.

• Fire up your Word or Excel, or PowerPoint document.
• Go to the Insert Tab.

• Look to your far right and you’ll see a section labeled “Symbols.” In this section, click on Symbol > More Symbols to see additional symbols.

The Symbol window will look somethinglike this when you first open it.

• Here, you can see the Symbol.
• To find it easily, type 2212 in the Character code: box.

Once you enter the character code, the Minus sign will appear selected already.

• Click the Insert button to get the Symbol inserted into your Word document. Or double−click on it to insert.
• Close the Symbol dialog.

Use these steps to add the Minus (−) Symbol to Microsoft Word or any other Office app on Windows or Mac OS.

Minus Symbol In Google Docs

This is another text editor where people may have difficulty typing or inserting the Minus sign.

Meanwhile, Google Docs makes it simple to insert symbols in documents. Let’s see how this is done.

To insert the Minus Symbol in Google Docs:

• Open Google Docs and place the Insertion Pointer where you want to insert the Symbol.
• Navigate to Insert > Special Characters.

The Insert special characters window will appear with a search bar and a drawing area.

• Search for ‘Minus’ in the Search bar. Then, in the search results, double−click the Symbol for Minus to insert it into Google Docs.

• You can also draw the Minus symbol on the drawing pad below the search bar. If Google Docs recognizes the drawing, the Symbol and other similar signs will appear in the results box. Then, to insert, double−click the Symbol.

These are the steps to use in Google Docs to insert this or any other symbol.

Sign for Minus on the Character Map (Windows)

In Windows, the Character Map is a tool for viewing characters in any installed font, checking what keyboard input (or Alt code) is used to type those characters, and copying characters to the clipboard instead of typing them.

This section will show you how to easily copy and paste the Minus Symbol using the Character Map tool.

Let’s get started.

• Navigate to the Windows Start menu and search for Character Map.

• The Character Map will appear in the search result. Click on it to Open.
• When it opens, look at the bottom left of the window and click to check the Advance view options. This will expand the window for more advanced stuff.

• To easily find the Symbol on the Character Map, type ‘Minus’ in the ‘search for‘ box and press enter.

The Symbol will appear for you to copy.

• Simply double−click on this Symbol to select it in the Characters to copy box. Then, to copy it to your clipboard, click the Copy button.
• To paste the copied Symbol, place your cursor where you need it and press Ctrl and V.

And there you have it, the steps you may also use to copy and paste the Minus symbol or any other symbol on Windows.

Conclusion

We’ve tried to include as much information about the Minus Symbol as possible.

This Symbol is difficult to type or insert for many people. As a result, we’ve outlined the various methods and steps required to type or insert it in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog.