Basic Math Symbols and Their Meanings

A quick reference guide to essential mathematical signs, notation, and arithmetic operators used in basic math and algebra.

Symbol Name Meaning / Function Example
+ Plus sign Addition 5 + 3 = 8
Minus sign Subtraction 9 − 4 = 5
× Multiplication sign Multiplication 6 × 7 = 42
÷ Division sign Division 20 ÷ 4 = 5
= Equals sign Equality 2 + 2 = 4
Not equal sign Inequality 5 ≠ 3
Approximately equal Approximation π ≈ 3.14
< Less than Strict inequality 3 < 8
> Greater than Strict inequality 10 > 2
Less than or equal to Inequality x ≤ 5
Greater than or equal to Inequality y ≥ 1
^ Caret / Exponent Power / Exponentiation 2 ^ 3 = 8
! Exclamation mark Factorial 4! = 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 24
Square root Radical √16 = 4
% Percent Per hundred 50% = 0.5
() Parentheses Grouping operations (2 + 3) × 4 = 20

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ^ mean in math?

The caret symbol (^) represents exponentiation or raising a number to a power. For example, 3 ^ 2 means 3 raised to the second power ($3^2$), which equals 9.

What is ! in math?

The exclamation mark (!) denotes a factorial. The factorial of a non-negative integer is the product of all positive integers less than or equal to that number. For example, 5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120.