---
title: "< (Less Than) (Transact-SQL)"
description: "&lt; (Less Than) (Transact-SQL)"
author: rwestMSFT
ms.author: randolphwest
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.date: "03/13/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: "database-engine, sql-database, synapse-analytics, pdw"
ms.technology: t-sql
ms.topic: reference
ms.custom: ""
f1_keywords:
  - "<_TSQL"
helpviewer_keywords:
  - "less than (<)"
  - "< (less than operator)"
dev_langs:
  - "TSQL"
monikerRange: ">= aps-pdw-2016 || = azuresqldb-current || = azure-sqldw-latest || >= sql-server-2016 || >= sql-server-linux-2017 || = azuresqldb-mi-current"
---

# &lt; (Less Than) (Transact-SQL)

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Compares two expressions (a comparison operator). When you compare nonnull expressions, the result is TRUE if the left operand has a value lower than the right operand; otherwise, the result is FALSE. If either or both operands are NULL, see the topic [SET ANSI_NULLS &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](../../t-sql/statements/set-ansi-nulls-transact-sql.md).  
  
![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md)  
  
## Syntax  
  
```syntaxsql  
expression < expression  
```  
  
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## Arguments
 *expression*  
 Is any valid [expression](../../t-sql/language-elements/expressions-transact-sql.md). Both expressions must have implicitly convertible data types. The conversion depends on the rules of [data type precedence](../../t-sql/data-types/data-type-precedence-transact-sql.md).  
  
## Result Types  
 **Boolean**  
  
## Examples  
  
### A. Using < in a simple query  
 The following example returns all rows in the `HumanResources.Department` table that have a value in `DepartmentID` that is less than the value 3.  
  
```sql  
-- Uses AdventureWorks  
  
SELECT DepartmentID, Name  
FROM HumanResources.Department  
WHERE DepartmentID < 3  
ORDER BY DepartmentID;
```  
  
 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  
  
```  
DepartmentID Name  
------------ --------------------------------------------------  
1            Engineering  
2            Tool Design  
  
(2 row(s) affected)  
  
```  
  
### B. Using < to compare two variables  
  
```sql  
DECLARE @a INT = 45, @b INT = 40;  
SELECT IIF ( @a < @b, 'TRUE', 'FALSE' ) AS Result;  
```  
  
 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  
  
```  
Result  
------  
FALSE  
  
(1 row(s) affected)  
  
```  
  
## See Also  
- [IIF &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](../../t-sql/functions/logical-functions-iif-transact-sql.md)   
- [Data Types &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](../../t-sql/data-types/data-types-transact-sql.md)   
- [Operators &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](../../t-sql/language-elements/operators-transact-sql.md)