< Less than
Last updated: 2026-09-22
< Less than
< tests a < b (via __lt__).
| Category | Operators |
|---|---|
| Kind | Operator |
| Python Version | all |
📝 Syntax
a < b▶ Example
Edit the code, press Run, and see the result in the output panel:
Output：
True
True💡 Related Cases
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❓ FAQ
QCan strings be compared by size?
AYes, by comparing Unicode code points from left to right: `'a' < 'b'` is `True`, and `'ab' < 'ac'` is `True`. Note this is code-point order, not the pinyin or stroke order of a dictionary.
QCan values of different types be compared?
ANumbers can be compared across types (`1 < 1.5` is `True`), but comparing an int and a str in Python 3 raises `TypeError: '<' not supported between instances of 'int' and 'str'` (Python 2 allowed it).
QCan lists be compared?
AYes, element by element: `[1, 2] < [1, 3]` is `True`. When all elements are equal, the shorter list is smaller, e.g. `[1] < [1, 0]` is `True`.
