Equal in LaTeX

The LaTeX command for equal (=) is =.

=

Relations · Unicode = (U+003D) · no package needed

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Which command should you use?

Command	Package	Use it when
`=` recommended	none	Equality.
`\neq`	none	Not equal.
`\approx`	none	Approximately equal.
`\equiv`	none	Identical, or congruent modulo n.
`\coloneqq`	`mathtools`	"Is defined as" (:=) with the colon correctly centred.
`\stackrel{\text{def}}{=}`	`amsmath`	"Equal by definition", spelled out.

Table 1. Ways to write equal in LaTeX. Every line was compiled with pdfLaTeX (TeX Live 2026) loading only the package shown.

Common mistake. Typing := leaves the colon too low and badly spaced; \coloneqq from mathtools fixes both.

How to type Equal

Write = inside math mode, that is between $…$ for inline math or in a \[ … \] or equation block for display math. It is part of core LaTeX math, so no extra package is required.

Example

$f(x) \coloneqq x^2 + 1$

f(x) := x^2 + 1

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Related Relations symbols

\vdash\models\asymp\doteq\triangleq\lessapprox\gtrapprox\neq<>\leq\geq\leqslant\geqslant

Relation symbols in LaTeX: the full table or search all 350+ LaTeX symbols.

FAQ

How do you write equal (=) in LaTeX?

Use = in math mode; it needs no extra package. For example, $f(x) \coloneqq x^2 + 1$.

Which package provides =?

None: = is built into LaTeX, so no extra package is required.

What is the most common mistake with equal in LaTeX?

Typing := leaves the colon too low and badly spaced; \coloneqq from mathtools fixes both.