Web/CSS/float

The float CSS property places an element on the left or right side of its container, allowing text and inline elements to wrap around it. The element is removed from the normal flow of the page, though still remaining a part of the flow (in contrast to absolute positioning).

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A floating element is one where the computed value of float is not none.

As float implies the use of the block layout, it modifies the computed value of the display values, in some cases:

Specified value	Computed value
`inline`	`block`
`inline-block`	`block`
`inline-table`	`table`
`table-row`	`block`
`table-row-group`	`block`
`table-column`	`block`
`table-column-group`	`block`
`table-cell`	`block`
`table-caption`	`block`
`table-header-group`	`block`
`table-footer-group`	`block`
`inline-flex`	`flex`
`inline-grid`	`grid`
other	unchanged

Note: If you're referring to this property from JavaScript as a member of the HTMLElement.style object, modern browsers support float, but in older browsers you have to spell it as cssFloat, with Internet Explorer versions 8 and older using styleFloat. This was an exception to the rule, that the name of the DOM member is the camel-case name of the dash-separated CSS name (due to the fact that "float" is a reserved word in JavaScript, as seen in the need to escape "class" as "className" and escape <label>'s "for" as "htmlFor").

Syntax

/* Keyword values */
float: left;
float: right;
float: none;
float: inline-start;
float: inline-end;

/* Global values */
float: inherit;
float: initial;
float: unset;

The float property is specified as a single keyword, chosen from the list of values below.

Values

left: The element must float on the left side of its containing block.
right: The element must float on the right side of its containing block.
none: The element must not float.
inline-start: The element must float on the start side of its containing block. That is the left side with ltr scripts, and the right side with rtl scripts.
inline-end: The element must float on the end side of its containing block. That is the right side with ltr scripts, and the left side with rtl scripts.

Formal definition

Initial value	`none`
Applies to	all elements, but has no effect if the value of `display` is `none`.
Inherited	no
Computed value	as specified
Animation type	discrete

Formal syntax

left | right | none | inline-start | inline-end

Examples

How floated elements are positioned

As mentioned above, when an element is floated, it is taken out of the normal flow of the document (though still remaining part of it). It is shifted to the left, or right, until it touches the edge of its containing box, or another floated element.

In this example, there are three colored squares. Two are floated left, and one is floated right. Note that the second "left" square is placed to the right of the first. Additional squares would continue to stack to the right, until they filled the containing box, after which they would wrap to the next line.

A floated element is at least as tall as it's tallest nested floated children. We gave the parent width: 100% and floated it to ensure it is tall enough to encompass it's floated children, and to make sure it takes up the width of the parent so we don't have to clear it's adjacent sibling.

HTML

<section>
  <div class="left">1</div>
  <div class="left">2</div>
  <div class="right">3</div>
  <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
     Morbi tristique sapien ac erat tincidunt, sit amet dignissim
     lectus vulputate. Donec id iaculis velit. Aliquam vel
     malesuada erat. Praesent non magna ac massa aliquet tincidunt
     vel in massa. Phasellus feugiat est vel leo finibus congue.</p>
</section>

CSS

section {
  border: 1px solid blue;
  width: 100%;
  float: left;
}

div {
  margin: 5px;
  width: 50px;
  height: 150px;
}

.left {
  float: left;
  background: pink;
}

.right {
  float: right;
  background: cyan;
}

Result

Clearing floats

Sometimes you may want to force an item to move below any floated elements. For instance, you may want paragraphs to remain adjacent to floats, but force headings to be on their own line. See clear for examples.

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
CSS Logical Properties and Values Level 1The definition of 'float and clear' in that specification.	Editor's Draft	Adds the values `inline-start` and `inline-end`.
CSS Level 2 (Revision 1)The definition of 'float' in that specification.	Recommendation	No change
CSS Level 1The definition of 'float' in that specification.	Recommendation	Initial definition

Browser compatibility

Update compatibility data on GitHub

	Desktop						Mobile
	Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Internet Explorer	Opera	Safari	Android webview	Chrome for Android	Firefox for Android	Opera for Android	Safari on iOS	Samsung Internet
`float`	Chrome Full support 1	Edge Full support 12	Firefox Full support 1	IE Full support 4	Opera Full support 7	Safari Full support 1	WebView Android Full support 1	Chrome Android Full support 18	Firefox Android Full support 4	Opera Android Full support 10.1	Safari iOS Full support 1	Samsung Internet Android Full support 1.0
Flow-relative values `inline-start` and `inline-end`	Chrome No support No	Edge No support No	Firefox Full support 55	IE No support No	Opera No support No	Safari No support No	WebView Android No support No	Chrome Android No support No	Firefox Android Full support 55	Opera Android No support No	Safari iOS No support No	Samsung Internet Android No support No

Legend

Full support: Full support
No support: No support