A unary operator is any operator that has only one operand (a single input). As the Wikipedia article explains there's only a handful of them in C. If you get a unary operator error when compiling your code, it means the compiler understood something you wrote as a unary operation, but it couldn't be completed because either the input or the output (or whatever handles the output) can't make sense of it. Answer from stealthgunner385 on reddit.com
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › c language › unary-operators-cc
Unary Operators in C - GeeksforGeeks
In C programming, unary operators are operators that operate on a single operand. These operators are used to perform operations such as negation, incrementing or decrementing a variable, or checking the size of a variable.
Published June 4, 2025
TutorialsPoint
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C Unary Operators
June 10, 2012 - An operator is said to be unary if it takes just a single operand, unlike a binary operator which needs two operands. Some operators in C are binary as well as unary in their usage.
expression - What is the purpose of the unary plus (+) operator in C? - Stack Overflow
However, as far as I can tell, the unary plus (+) in +4 is a no-op. Is it? ... msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/s50et82s.aspx "The unary plus operator preceding an expression in parentheses forces the grouping of the enclosed operations. It is used with expressions involving more than one ... More on stackoverflow.com
Is there any operator in c which is both unary and binary? - Stack Overflow
Is there any operator in c which is both unary and binary ? This question was asked in one of the interview. More on stackoverflow.com
Unary operator in c
The increment (++) and decrement (--) operators can be used in both prefix and postfix forms. For example, ++x (prefix) increments the value of x before using it in an expression, while x++ (postfix) increments the value of x after using it in an expression. The unary plus (+) and unary minus ... More on askfilo.com
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Whats unary? how is it used in C
A unary operator is any operator that has only one operand (a single input). As the Wikipedia article explains there's only a handful of them in C. If you get a unary operator error when compiling your code, it means the compiler understood something you wrote as a unary operation, but it couldn't be completed because either the input or the output (or whatever handles the output) can't make sense of it. More on reddit.com
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October 4, 2018Can unary operators be applied to constants in C?
Yes, unary operators can be applied to constants. For example, -5 will negate the value of 5, and +5 simply indicates the positive value of 5.
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Unary Operators in C: Types, Applications, and Benefits
How does the unary minus (-) operator work with data types in C?
The unary minus operator negates the value of the operand. It works with both signed and unsigned types, but applying it to unsigned types can result in unexpected behavior, especially if the value exceeds the range of the type.
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Unary Operators in C: Types, Applications, and Benefits
How does the unary operator sizeof() handle arrays in C?
The sizeof() operator returns the size of the data type or expression in bytes. When applied to an array, sizeof() returns the total memory used by the array (i.e., sizeof(array) = number of elements * size of element).
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Unary Operators in C: Types, Applications, and Benefits
Videos
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Unary Operator in C - YouTube
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Increment and Decrement operators in C | Unary operators- increment ...
C_13 Operators in C - Part 1 | Unary , Binary and Ternary Operators ...
C_13 Operators in C - Part 1 | Unary , Binary and Ternary ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/c_programming › whats unary? how is it used in c
r/C_Programming on Reddit: Whats unary? how is it used in C
October 4, 2018 - A unary operator is any operator that has only one operand (a single input). As the Wikipedia article explains there's only a handful of them in C.
Top answer 1 of 8
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You can use it as a sort of assertion that an expression has arithmetic type:
#define CHECK_ARITHMETIC(x) (+(x))
This will generate a compile-time error if x evaluates to (say) a pointer.
That is about the only practical use I can think of.
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As per the C90 standard in 6.3.3.3:
The result of the unary + operator is the value of its operand. The integral promotion is performed on the operand. and the result has the promoted type.
and
The operand of the unary + or - operator shall have arithmetic type..
A unary operator is any operator that has only one operand (a single input). As the Wikipedia article explains there's only a handful of them in C. If you get a unary operator error when compiling your code, it means the compiler understood something you wrote as a unary operation, but it couldn't be completed because either the input or the output (or whatever handles the output) can't make sense of it. Answer from stealthgunner385 on reddit.com
Codecademy
codecademy.com › docs › operators › unary operators
C | Operators | Unary operators | Codecademy
February 6, 2025 - Unary operators in C operate on a single operand to perform various operations such as incrementing, decrementing, negating, or manipulating bits.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Unary_operation
Unary operation - Wikipedia
October 9, 2025 - In mathematics, a unary operation is an operation with only one operand, i.e. a single input. This is in contrast to binary operations, which use two operands. An example is any function ... Common notations are prefix notation (e.g. ¬, −), postfix notation (e.g. factorial n!), functional ...
Upgrad
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Unary Operators in C: Types, Applications, and Benefits
February 28, 2025 - C is used to perform operations on a single operand. It is primarily used to modify or check the value of variables in a simple and concise way. Unary operators are essential for various common operations such as incrementing, decrementing, ...
Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com › en-us › cpp › c-language › c-operators
C operators | Microsoft Learn
April 11, 2022 - There are three types of operators. A unary expression consists of either a unary operator followed by an operand, or the sizeof or _Alignof keyword followed by an expression. The expression can be either the name of a variable or a cast expression.
Top answer 1 of 3
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The asterisk (*) can be used for dereferencing (unary) or multiplication (binary).
The ampersand (&) can be used for referencing (unary) or bitwise AND (binary).
The plus/minus signs (+/-) can be used for identity/negation (unary) or addition/subtraction (binary).
But, as others pointed out, those are symbols shared by different operators. Each of those operators have only one n-arity.
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No, there isn't. Every operator is either unary, binary, or ternary.
Some unary and binary operators happen to use the same symbol:
*for dereference and multiplication-for negation and subtraction+for identity and addition&for address-of and bitwise "and"
But unary and binary * are still distinct operators that happen to be spelled the same way.
Scaler
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Unary Operator in C - Scaler Topics
October 12, 2023 - In the C programming language, a unary operator is a single operator that operates on a single operand to produce a new value. The unary operator in C has right to left associativity. All unary operators have equal precedence in C.
Quora
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What is a unary operator In C Programming ? - Quora
Answer (1 of 14): Unary operators are those operators which needs only one operand to perform an operation. These operators are usually written on left of variables or objects but sometimes can be written on right as well.
BeginnersBook
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Unary Operator in C with Examples
Difference between minus(-) unary operator and minus(-) arithmetic operator: The minus (-) unary operator and minus(-) arithmetic operator look same, however they are completely different. The unary – operator works on a single operand while the arithmetic – operator works on two operands.
WsCube Tech
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Unary Operators in C (All Types With Examples)
August 29, 2025 - Learn all about Unary Operators in C with detailed examples. Understand their types and usage to master C programming efficiently. Click to explore more!
Lenovo
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What You Need to Know About Unary Operators | Lenovo IN
It's commonly used for fast division ... code and performing efficient arithmetic operations. In C++, the unary plus operator (+) is used to explicitly convert a value to a numeric type....
BYJUS
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Types of Unary Operator in C
August 1, 2022 - All the unary operators have equal precedence, and their associativity is from right to left. When we combine the unary operator with an operand, we get the unary expression. In this article, we will dig deeper into the Unary Operator in C according to the GATE Syllabus for CSE (Computer Science ...
Hero Vired
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What is Unary Operator in C++? | Hero Vired
July 4, 2024 - Operators in unary operators have equal priority from the right to the left side associativity. The function of the unary operator is to update the particular value of the operand or expression value. The operator uses specified unary operators.
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › c language › operators-in-c
Operators in C - GeeksforGeeks
The values and variables used with operators are called operands. ... #include <stdio.h> int main() { // Expression for getting sum int sum = 10 + 20; printf("%d", sum); return 0; } ... Unary Operators: Operators that work on single operand.
Published November 1, 2025
W3Schools
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C Operators
C Examples C Real-Life Examples C Exercises C Quiz C Code Challenges C Compiler C Syllabus C Study Plan C Interview Q&A C Certificate ... Operators are used to perform operations on variables and values.
Filo
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Unary operator in c... | Filo
December 23, 2024 - Unary operators in C include: ++ (increment), -- (decrement), + (unary plus), - (unary minus), !
EmbeTronicX
embetronicx.com › tutorials › p_language › c › operators-in-c
Operators in C (Unary, Binary, Ternary Operators)
August 25, 2023 - Note: In this program inside a ... after post-increment. sizeof() the operator is a unary operator which can be used for the size of its operand....