Greater than – Explanation & Examples What is Greater Than Sign ? The greater than sign is a mathematical symbol used to denote an inequality between two variables or quantities. This sign has been in use since the 1560s. The sign normally resembles equal – length strokes connecting in acute angle (>). Learn about the history, usage and meaning of the greater - than sign (>, also known as GREATER - THAN SIGN) in mathematics and programming. Find out how to type, encode and redirect it in different languages and contexts. Greater Than and Less Than Symbols Definition Greater than and less than symbols denote an inequality between two values. The symbol used to denote greater than is “ >” and for less than is “<”. Get more math symbols here with us. Understand the greater than symbol (>) with clear definitions, solved examples, comparison methods, and real-life math applications. Learn how to use the greater than symbol in inequalities and word problems.