You’ve seen these arithmetic symbols a thousand times, but how well do you actually know them? From the plus sign to pi, arithmetic symbols are the foundation of every calculation you’ll ever do. They show up on receipts, in spreadsheets, on calculators, and in every math class from first grade to college.
This interactive arithmetic symbols infographic covers 20 of the most common arithmetic symbols. Search by name or keyword, tap any symbol to get the full breakdown (meaning, HTML entity, Unicode, and a quick fact), try live examples in the math lab, and test yourself with a quick quiz.
Everything you need is right here on the page.
Arithmetic Symbols Infographic
GoldKey Symbols
Find an arithmetic symbol fast
Use the search box and category chips to narrow the list. Tap a tile to open the full explainer.
Symbol spotlight
This panel updates when a reader presses any symbol image in the grid or quick reference strip.
Plus Sign
OperationsMeaning
Represents addition, the operation of combining two or more quantities.
Quick fact
The plus sign is one of the first math symbols most learners recognize.
Common example
7 + 3 = 10
Where readers see it
Basic arithmetic, spreadsheets, calculators, and formulas.
Helpful tip
Addition combines values into a larger total, unless one of the values is negative.
Related symbols
Try the symbol in the live math lab
Pick a symbol and change the numbers to see how the expression and answer update instantly.
Test your symbol knowledge
Match the meaning to the correct symbol. A new question appears every time you continue.
Which symbol means addition and combines quantities?
Quick tips readers should remember
Operations symbols
Plus, minus, multiplication, division, square root, caret, absolute value, and factorial all tell you to perform an action on a number or expression.
Comparison symbols
Equals, not equal, less than, greater than, less than or equal to, greater than or equal to, and approximately equal compare values instead of combining them.
Special symbols
Percent, pi, infinity, sigma, and delta often appear in higher-level math, finance, geometry, algebra, statistics, and programming contexts.
Symbol guides made clearer, more visual, and easier to use.
Tip: Readers can search, filter, copy, and experiment with symbols right inside this infographic.
Note: This tool is educational and designed to help explain common arithmetic and math symbols in plain language.
Where These Symbols Came From
Most of these symbols are newer than you’d think. The plus and minus signs didn’t appear until 15th-century Europe, and the equals sign was invented in 1557 by Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde because he was tired of writing “is equal to” over and over.
The multiplication cross (×) came along in 1631, courtesy of William Oughtred, and the division symbol (÷), called the obelus, became standard later that same century.
For most of human history, people wrote math operations out as full sentences. The shift to symbols made calculations faster, more compact, and universally readable. Today, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the American Mathematical Society (AMS) maintain global consistency, so a plus sign means the same thing everywhere on the planet.
One Rule That Trips Everyone Up
If you remember only one thing from this page, make it the order of operations. Without it, the expression 2 + 3 × 4 could mean 20 or 14, depending on which operation you do first.
The correct answer is 14, because multiplication always comes before addition unless parentheses say otherwise. The acronyms PEMDAS (US) and BIDMAS (UK) exist specifically to help you remember the right sequence.
Now You Know Your Arithmetic Symbols
Twenty symbols, centuries of history, and one interactive guide. You’ve got the meanings, the shortcuts, the HTML entities, and a few fun facts to share at your next trivia night. If this page helped, pass it along to someone who’d get a kick out of it.
