LESS THAN Operator (<) - Excel

Overview

The Less than operator (<) in Excel is a useful tool for comparing two values. This operator allows users to check if one value is less than another.

Syntax:

=expression1 < expression2

expression1 and expression2 can be cell references, values, or more complex expressions.

Example: TRUE value

In this example, the Less than operator is comparing two different values and returns a TRUE result. Cell C2 equals 5 and cell D2 equals 10 so the Less than operator returns a TRUE value because 5 is less than 10.

An example of the LESS THAN operator in Excel with a TRUE value output

Example:

=C2 < D2

Example: FALSE value

In this example, the Less than operator is comparing two different values and returns a FALSE result. Cell C2 equals 10 and cell D2 equals 7 so the Less than operator returns a FALSE value because 10 is not less than 7.

An example of the LESS THAN operator in Excel with a FALSE value output

Example:

=C2 < D2