How do I use '&' literally in LaTeX?

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How to look up a symbol?
Escape character in LaTeX

In the itemize environment, how do I use the ampersand symbol & without LaTeX trying to use it as a command?

@barbarabeeton I can't believe that I am unable to find a duplicate for it. I even wrote the tag wiki for {ampersand} which contains the "solution" already. — mafp, Jan 24 '13 at 23:49
@barbarabeeton Is there anything other? I cannot get it work with XeLaTeX? — Léo Léopold Hertz 준영, Jan 15 '17 at 19:23
@LéoLéopoldHertz준영 -- you must have a package loaded that changes the meaning (to latex) of \&, but since we don't know that that might be, can't guess at an answer. since you're not the person who asked this question, please post a new one, with a compilable example that demonstrates the problem. — barbara beeton, Jan 15 '17 at 19:26

score 169 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 11 '20 at 10:08

169

How about \&?

This also works fine in XeLaTeX and LuaLaTeX. For example, in XeLaTeX this code:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{fontspec}
\setmainfont{Linux Libertine O}
\begin{document}
Testing... \&
\end{document}

is thus rendered:

edited Jun 11 '20 at 10:08

answered Jan 24 '13 at 23:30

NVaughan

1

This does not work in XeLaTeX. Maybe something there too – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Jan 15 '17 at 19:22
1

@LéoLéopoldHertz준영 It does. – NVaughan Jan 16 '17 at 01:37
8

@NVaughan I cannot get it work in my environment. Is there any more universal way without fontspec? - - This works {\&} instead. But it does not work inside \textbf. – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Aug 02 '17 at 13:37
Latex has set of symbols as a part of compilation. Such symbols one can use in the tex by \symbol. – Vaman Kulkarni Jun 09 '20 at 12:35
Is it just me or is the ampersand by using \& too fancy? :P – Black Jack 21 Jul 19 '20 at 10:21
1

It doesn't work. you get an error: "Misplaced alignment tab character &." – ingframin May 18 '22 at 14:50

1 Answers1