Leftwards Arrow

Leftwards Arrow at U+2190 is a directional arrow symbol that points to the left, usually meaning “go back,” “move left,” “comes from,” or “is assigned from.” It is part of the Arrows block, where it sits among the basic text arrows used in notation, diagrams, interfaces, and technical writing. In user interfaces and documents, it commonly labels a back action, a previous item, or leftward navigation, as in breadcrumb trails, slide controls, maps, and instructional text such as “press ← to move left.” It is also used in plain-text diagrams to show direction or flow toward an earlier step. In mathematics, logic, and science, ← often marks a mapping, implication, or transformation read from right to left. In chemistry and reaction schemes it may show a reverse reaction or a process directed back toward reactants, while in handwritten or typed notes it can point to a source or cause. In programming-related writing, ← is widely recognized as an assignment arrow in pseudocode and algorithms, as in “x ← x + 1,” meaning the new value is stored in x. Actual programming languages more often use keyboard-friendly substitutes, but the arrow remains common in textbooks, lecture slides, and algorithm descriptions.