Subset in LaTeX (\subset)

Where it is used

Shows that one set is contained in another; often read as proper or strict subset.

Conventions differ: some authors use \subset for any subset, others reserve it for proper subsets and use \subseteq when equality is allowed. To be unambiguous, many papers write \subseteq for "subset or equal" and \subsetneq for "proper subset", and state the convention once. The reversed relation is \supset. Typical statements include \mathbb{N} \subset \mathbb{Z} \subset \mathbb{Q} and subspace inclusions in linear algebra. The negation \not\subset works, and \nsubseteq gives a cleaner negated subset-or-equal glyph. Whichever reading you adopt, avoid switching between the two within one document.

Also listed under: Relations & Comparisons, Set Theory

Minimal compilable example

Paste this into an empty .tex file and compile it with pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\begin{document}
Subset: $\subset$

\[ \mathbb{N} \subset \mathbb{Z} \subset \mathbb{Q} \subset \mathbb{R} \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

• Union\cup
• Not Element Of\notin
• Intersection\cap
• Element Of\in
• Empty Set\emptyset
• Exists\exists

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Subset in LaTeX?

Type \subset in math mode, for example $\mathbb{N} \subset \mathbb{Z} \subset \mathbb{Q} \subset \mathbb{R}$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \subset?

None. \subset is part of standard LaTeX, so it compiles with nothing in the preamble but the document class.

Can I use \subset in text mode, or only in math mode?

Only in math mode. Outside $...$ LaTeX stops with "Missing $ inserted", so write $\subset$ in running text. If you only need the glyph in text, paste the Unicode character ⊂ instead (with XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX and a font that has it).