Math symbols · U+221E

∞Infinity symbol

Infinity, also used as the lemniscate in tattoos and jewellery.

How to type it
Unicode
U+221E
Alt code
Alt+8734
HTML
∞
Unicode name
Infinity
U+221EYour font
∞

01 — Origin

Where the Infinity symbol comes from

John Wallis introduced the lemniscate for infinity in 1655, in a treatise on conic sections. He never explained the choice; the usual guess is a variant of the Roman numeral for a thousand, which was sometimes written as a figure like this one and used loosely to mean “countless”.

Limits and ranges in maths, unlimited quantities in interface copy, and — far more often than either — tattoos, bios and jewellery, where it stands for endlessness or for an unbroken bond.

Worth knowing
It is not the number eight rotated, and it is not the ∝ proportionality sign, which looks similar at small sizes but is open on one side.

02 — Codes

Infinity symbol codes

Tap any value to copy it. All of them produce the same character — they just belong to different places.

03 — How to type

How to type ∞ on any keyboard

Four ways, depending on what you are working in.

Windows
Hold Alt and type 8734 on the numeric keypad, then release. Without a keypad, use the Character Map app (search “charmap”).
Mac
Press Control + Command + Space to open the character viewer, then search “infinity”. Double-click to insert.
Phone
There is no shortcut on a phone keyboard. Tap the symbol at the top of this page, then long-press in any text field and choose Paste.
Web and code
In HTML write ∞ or ∞. In CSS content: "\221E". Make sure the page is served as UTF-8 and the raw character works too.

04 — Font support

Will ∞ actually show up?

We checked 147 fonts installed on a normal machine and counted how many of them contain this character. A symbol missing from a font is drawn as an empty box — the text is still correct, it just cannot be drawn.

89% 131 of 147 fonts

Safe in most places. Common fonts have it. Older or decorative fonts sometimes do not, so a fallback font will kick in.

05 — Similar

Symbols people confuse with ∞

Lookalikes that are not the same character at all — separate codes, separate fonts, and here they number 2.

06 — Related

Other mathematical symbols

Relatives of this character. Each has its own page with origin, typing and font coverage.

√ Square root symbolIn 89% of system fonts ∫ Integral symbolIn 89% of system fonts ≠ Not equal symbolIn 89% of system fonts ≈ Approximately equal symbolIn 89% of system fonts ≤ Less than or equal symbolIn 87% of system fonts ± Plus-minus symbolIn 97% of system fonts

07 — Same block

Math symbols

Operators, set theory, logic, calculus — everything past the number row.

All math symbols →

08 — FAQ

Infinity symbol — questions

How do I type the Infinity symbol?
On Windows hold Alt and type 8734 on the numeric keypad. On Mac open the character viewer with Control + Command + Space and search “Infinity”. Or just tap the symbol on this page — it goes straight to your clipboard.
What is the HTML code for ∞?
Write it as ∞ or ∞ in HTML, \221E in CSS content, and \u221E in JavaScript. All four produce the same character.
Is ∞ an emoji?
No. ∞ is a text character — it takes the colour of the text around it and works in usernames, filenames and documents. An emoji is replaced by a colour picture and is sometimes stripped by forms and systems.
Why does ∞ show as a box on some devices?
Because that font has no drawing for this character. We checked 147 fonts on a normal machine and 131 of them include it. The character itself is always correct; only the drawing is missing.