Logical OR (∨ / OR)

Syntax

<condition1> ∨ <condition2>
<condition1> OR <condition2>

σ status = "new" ∨ status = "pending" (Orders)

Description

OR combines two conditions and keeps a row when EITHER is true. Use it to widen a filter — "orders that are new or pending", "users in sales or marketing".

Technical Description

∨ forms an OrPredicate. Under three-valued logic, FALSE ∨ FALSE = FALSE; any TRUE makes it TRUE; otherwise UNKNOWN. OR binds looser than AND, so a ∧ b ∨ c means (a ∧ b) ∨ c; use parentheses to be explicit.

Examples

Either of two statuses:

σ status = "new" ∨ status = "pending" (Orders)

SELECT status = "new" OR status = "pending" (Orders)

Mix with AND (parenthesise for clarity):

σ (region = "EMEA" ∨ region = "APAC") ∧ amount > 1000 (Orders)

SELECT (region = "EMEA" OR region = "APAC") AND amount > 1000 (Orders)

Keep rows where a value is present OR explicitly null:

σ score >= 50 ∨ score = NULL (Results)

σ score ≥ 50 ∨ score = NULL (Results)

SELECT score >= 50 OR score = NULL (Results)

Limitations

A disjunction over the same column equality is more cleanly written with IN (∈). Precedence with AND can surprise — parenthesise when mixing.

Alternatives

IN (∈) for many equality alternatives on one column. UNION (∪) to combine the results of two separately-filtered queries.

See Also

and, not, in, comparison, select

Notes

x = a ∨ x = b ∨ x = c is equivalent to, and clearer as, x ∈ {a, b, c}.