An X mark (also known as an ex mark or a cross mark or simply an X or ex or a cross) is used to indicate the concept of negation (for example "no, this has not been verified", "no, that is not the correct answer" or "no, I do not agree") as well as an indicator (for example, in election ballot papers or in

map A map is a symbolic depiction of interrelationships, commonly spatial, between things within a space. A map may be annotated with text and graphics. Like any graphic, a map may be fixed to paper or other durable media, or may be displayed on ...

s as an x-marks-the-spot). Its opposite is often considered to be the O mark used in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

or the

check mark The check or check mark (American English), checkmark ( Philippine English), tickmark ( Indian English) or tick ( Australian, New Zealand and British English) is a mark (✓, ✔, etc.) used in many countries, including the English-speaking ...

(✓) used in the West. In Japanese, the X mark (❌) is called "batsu" (ばつ) and can be expressed by someone by crossing their arms. It is also used as a replacement for a

signature A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, Handwriting, handwritt ...

for a person who is blind or illiterate and thus cannot write their name. Typically, the writing of an X used for this purpose must be witnessed to be valid. Contrary to the negation or negative perception delegated to the letter X, there is a significant resilience in the usage displayed by the letter's placement. This unique letter is also recognized as the symbol of multiplicity, the Roman numerical symbol for 10, and also the mark of a forgotten treasure. As a verb, to X (or ex) off/out or to cross off/out means to add such a mark. It is quite common, especially on printed forms and document, for there to be squares in which to place x marks, or interchangeably checks. It is traditionally used on maps to indicate locations, most famously on

treasure map A treasure map is a map that marks the location of buried treasure, a lost mine, a valuable secret or a hidden locale. More common in fiction than in reality, "pirate treasure maps" are often depicted in works of fiction as hand drawn and cont ...

s. It is also used as a set of three to mark jugs of

moonshine Moonshine is alcohol proof, high-proof liquor, traditionally made or distributed alcohol law, illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of distilling the alcohol (drug), alcohol at night to avoid detection. In the first decades of the ...

for having completed all distillation steps, while additionally signifying its potency (as high as 150

proof Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a co ...

) relative to legal spirits, which rarely exceed 80 proof (40% ABV). Among Native Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries, the X mark was used as a signature to denote presence or approval, particularly regarding agreements and treaties.Lyons, Scott Richard. ''X-Marks: Native Signatures of Assent''. NED-New edition, University of Minnesota Press, 2010. ''JSTOR'', http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctttt4rt . Accessed 9 Dec. 2023. In the 21st century, the X mark started to be used to indicate collaborations between fashion brands.

Unicode

Unicode Unicode or ''The Unicode Standard'' or TUS is a character encoding standard maintained by the Unicode Consortium designed to support the use of text in all of the world's writing systems that can be digitized. Version 16.0 defines 154,998 Char ...

provides various related symbols, including: The mark is generally rendered with a less symmetrical form than the following cross-shaped symbols:

Footnotes

{{reflist Cross symbols Mathematical symbols Typographical symbols it:Segno di spunta

Unicode

See also

Footnotes