less-than sign

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less-than sign" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in mathematical or programming contexts to refer to the symbol "<", which indicates that one value is smaller than another. Example: "In programming, you can use the less-than sign to compare two variables, like if x < y."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

But playing an emulation of the original black-and-white Tetris, made entirely from the characters on a computer keyboard (the walls consist of exclamation points and greater-than and less-than signs; the blocks are built from brackets) solves nothing other than boredom.

The New York Times - Arts

Faith in the authors' statistical analysis is not helped by the fact that greater-than signs appear to have been used where less-than signs were intended in many cases (e.g. p>0.05).

eLife

We need to use all our international collegiate combined medical knowledge, skill, and wisdom if we are to serve our patients beyond the mathematics of greater-than and less-than signs and the self-imposed statistical fundamentalism that implies that we cannot decide anything beyond the constraints of a P value.

Diabetes Care

In the sex row, the "greater than" ("less than") sign indicates that the mean of the female group was greater (less) than the mean of the male group.

BMC Physiology

These days, however, paying multiple managers could cost less than signing one veteran player.

Forbes

"To close the door on Syrian refugees would be nothing less than signing a death warrant for tens of thousands of families who are fleeing for their lives.

Vice

It takes less than a minute to sign up at Tumblr: you just have to enter a screen name, an email address, and a password.

The Guardian - Tech

It's significantly less intimidating than "sign up for one month". Instead, it lets the customer feel as if they're in control and more importantly, that getting an account is like receiving a gift.

Forbes

Unprompted awareness of warning signs and symptoms of CRC was very poor, with average recall of less than one sign or symptom (mean: 0.7; SD. 0.9).

BMC Cancer

Surely a less than subtle sign that we should leave them to the little habitat they've got left.

The Guardian - Travel

While virtually all grandparent caregivers, regardless of income, are eligible for a monthly federal child-only grant (about $400 in New York, but it varies by state), less than 15percentt sign up, according to AARP.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about mathematical or programming concepts, clearly define the "less-than sign" and its function to avoid ambiguity for non-technical audiences.

Common error

Ensure you're using the "less-than sign" ("<") correctly and not confusing it with the greater-than sign (">") or less-than-or-equal-to sign ("<="). Double-check your work to avoid errors in mathematical expressions.

Linguistic Context

The term "less-than sign" functions as a noun phrase that refers to the symbol '<'. It's primarily used in mathematical, logical, and programming contexts to denote inequality, as suggested by Ludwig's AI.

Expression frequency: Missing

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "less-than sign" is a noun phrase that denotes the mathematical symbol '<', crucial for expressing inequality. As verified by Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically sound and commonly used in technical contexts. While examples are limited, the phrase serves a clear communicative purpose, primarily in formal and scientific settings. It's essential to avoid confusion with other inequality symbols and define it clearly when addressing a non-technical audience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

less-than symbol

Uses 'symbol' instead of 'sign', indicating the same mathematical notation.

< symbol

Represents the "less-than sign" directly with the symbol itself.

the < symbol

A more verbose way to refer to the symbol itself.

inequality symbol

Broader term encompassing "less-than sign" and other similar symbols.

less than operator

Common in programming and computer science contexts.

smaller than sign

Replaces "less-than" with "smaller than", offering a more descriptive alternative.

lower than sign

Synonymous replacement of 'less' with 'lower'.

mathematical inequality

Refers to the general concept the "less-than sign" represents.

numerical inequality

Focuses on the numerical aspect of the inequality.

relational operator

A general term including "less-than sign" within the family of operators that establish a relationship between variables.

FAQs

How do I use the "less-than sign" in a sentence?

The "less-than sign" (<) is used to indicate that one value is smaller than another. For example, "5 < 10" means that 5 is less than 10.

What is another term for "less-than sign"?

Another term for "less-than sign" is "less-than symbol".

What's the difference between "less-than sign" and "greater-than sign"?

The "less-than sign" (<) indicates that one value is smaller than another, while the "greater-than sign" (>) indicates that one value is larger than another. For example, if x is less than y, you write x < y; if x is greater than y, you write x > y.

When should I use the "less than or equal to" sign instead of the "less-than sign"?

Use the "less than or equal to" sign (≤ or <=) when a value can be either less than or equal to another value. Use the "less-than sign" (<) when a value must be strictly less than another value.