Final answer:
The % symbol in LIKE/NOT LIKE comparators serves as a wildcard that matches zero, one, or multiple characters in a string for pattern matching in SQL.
Step-by-step explanation:
The % symbol in a LIKE/NOT LIKE comparator in SQL is used as a wildcard character that represents zero, one, or multiple characters in a string. When using the LIKE comparator, the % symbol is used within a string to specify a pattern for searching within columns. For instance, if you search for '%son%' using the LIKE comparator, it will match any string that contains 'son' in it, such as 'Jackson', 'Sonny', or 'Alison'. Conversely, if you use the NOT LIKE comparator with '%son%', it would exclude all strings containing 'son' from the results.