Section Symbol
About Section Symbol
§ is the section symbol, a typographical character used to reference individual sections within legal, scholarly, and official documents. The section symbol § serves as an efficient reference marker in legal codes, academic papers, and contracts, distinct from the trademark symbol ™ used for brand protection.
The section symbol § is formed by two intertwined letter S characters in a single glyph. As a Unicode character, the section symbol holds codepoint U+00A7 within the Latin-1 Supplement block. The section symbol is widely used by lawyers, academics, and editors when citing specific provisions in statutes and regulations.
【Historical Origin】 The section symbol likely originated from combining two letter S characters (from Latin "signum sectionis"), representing the plural "sections". The section symbol was widely adopted in European legal manuscripts during the Renaissance and became standard notation in statutes and regulations across Western legal systems.
【Modern Legal Usage】 Today the section symbol § is essential in legal writing, appearing alongside the trademark symbol ™ and registered trademark ®. While the section symbol references document structure, the trademark symbol asserts intellectual property rights—both serve critical but distinct functions in formal documentation.
How to Type Section Symbol
Windows Input
Method 1: Hold Alt and type 0167 on the numeric keypad; Method 2: Type zhangjiehao in Chinese input method; Method 3: Use Character Map to copy the section symbol.
Mac Input
Method 1: Press Option + 6 to directly type the section symbol §; Method 2: Press Control + Command + Space and search "section"; Method 3: Use the Character Viewer for the section sign.
HTML/CSS Input
HTML: § or § or §; CSS: content: "\00A7";
LaTeX Input
Use \S to type the section symbol § in LaTeX text mode. For consistent rendering of the section symbol in legal documents, use the \textsection command from the textcomp package.
Section Symbol FAQ
What does the section symbol § mean in legal documents?
The section symbol § refers to a specific section within a legal code or document, such as "§ 501(c)(3)" referencing a particular statutory provision. The section symbol allows precise citation without writing the full word "section" repeatedly.
How is the section symbol different from the trademark symbol?
The section symbol § references document sections in legal and academic writing, while the trademark symbol ™ indicates unregistered brand trademarks. The section symbol structures citations; the trademark symbol protects intellectual property. Both appear in formal documents but serve entirely different purposes.
Can I use the section symbol in academic writing?
Yes, the section symbol is common in academic citations, particularly in law reviews, social sciences, and humanities. Use the section symbol to reference specific sections of books, journals, statutes, or legal materials when page numbers alone are insufficient.
What is the Unicode for the section symbol?
The Unicode codepoint for the section symbol § is U+00A7. Its named HTML entity is § and decimal reference is §. The section symbol is part of the Latin-1 Supplement block with universal support across all platforms.