Subseteq in LaTeX

The LaTeX command for subseteq (⊆) is \subseteq.

\subseteq

Relations · Unicode ⊆ (U+2286) · no package needed

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Which command should you use?

Command	Package	Use it when
`\subseteq` recommended	none	Subset or equal.
`\subsetneq`	`amssymb`	Proper subset, unambiguous.
`\subset`	none	Subset; proper or not depends on the author.
`\nsubseteq`	`amssymb`	Not a subset.
`\supseteq`	none	Superset or equal.

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

Common mistake. Readers disagree on whether \subset allows equality: write \subseteq or \subsetneq.

How to type Subseteq

Write \subseteq 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

$\mathbb{N} \subseteq \mathbb{Z} \subseteq \mathbb{Q}$

\mathbb{N} \subseteq \mathbb{Z} \subseteq \mathbb{Q}

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Often confused with

Subset \subset (⊂)
Subsetneq \subsetneq (⊊): proper subset

Related Relations symbols

\nmid\parallel\nparallel\prec\succ\preceq\succeq\supseteq\subset\supset\subsetneq\sqsubseteq\sqsupseteq\in

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

FAQ

How do you write subseteq (⊆) in LaTeX?

Use \subseteq in math mode; it needs no extra package. For example, $\mathbb{N} \subseteq \mathbb{Z} \subseteq \mathbb{Q}$.

Which package provides \subseteq?

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

What is the most common mistake with subseteq in LaTeX?

Readers disagree on whether \subset allows equality: write \subseteq or \subsetneq.