List of Keywords in Java

In Java, there are a set of reserved words called “keywords” that have specific meanings in the language and cannot be used as names for variables, methods, or classes. Some examples of Java keywords include “abstract”, “boolean”, and “while”. In this article, we will explore the complete list of Java keywords and their usage.

Java has a set of reserved words that have a specific meaning in the language and cannot be used as names for variables, methods, or classes. These reserved words are called “keywords.” In this blog we will see the list of keywords used in Java.

Things to Note while using Keywords in Java:

• Keywords must be spelled exactly as they are written (case-sensitive). For example, “while” is a keyword, but “While” or “WHILE” are not.
• Keywords cannot be used as names for variables, methods, or classes. For example, the following code will give a compile-time error:

• Keywords are reserved for the Java language and cannot be used as identifiers in any context other than their intended use. For example, the following code will also give a compile-time error:

List of Keywords in Java

There are a total of 53 keywords in Java. Here is a list of Keywords used in Java

Keyword	Used To
abstract	Declare an abstract method or an abstract class
assert	Test a boolean condition at runtime
boolean	Declare a boolean variable or a method that returns a boolean value
break	Exit a loop or switch statement
byte	Declare a byte variable or a method that returns a byte value
case	Specify a branch of code in a switch statement
catch	Handle exceptions thrown by a try block
char	Declare a char variable or a method that returns a char value
class	Declare a class
const	Declare a constant field (no longer used in Java)
continue	Skip the rest of the current iteration of a loop
default	Specify a branch of code to be executed if no case matches in a switch statement
do	Create a do-while loop
double	Declare a double variable or a method that returns a double value
else	Specify a branch of code to be executed if the condition is false in an if statement
enum	Declare an enumeration
extends	Specify that a class or an interface is a subclass or a subinterface of another class or interface
final	Declare a final variable or a final class or method
finally	Specify a block of code that is always executed after a try block, whether an exception is thrown or not
float	Declare a float variable or a method that returns a float value
for	Create a for loop
goto	Transfer control to a labeled statement (no longer used in Java)
if	Specify a branch of code to be executed if a condition is true
implements	Specify that a class or an interface is implementing another interface
import	Import a package or a class
instanceof	Test whether an object is an instance of a class or an interface
int	Declare an int variable or a method that returns an int value
interface	Declare an interface
long	Declare a long variable or a method that returns a long value
native	Declare a native method (a method implemented in a language other than Java)
new	Create an instance of a class or an array
package	Declare a package
private	Declare a private field or a private method
protected	Declare a protected field or a protected method
public	Declare a public field or a public method
return	Return a value from a method
short	Declare a short variable or a method that returns a short value
static	Declare a static field or a static method
strictfp	Specify that a method or a class should be executed in strict floating-point mode
super	Refer to the superclass of a class
switch	Create a switch statement
synchronized	Specify that a method can be accessed by only one thread at a time
this	Refer to the current object
throw	Throw an exception
throws	Specify that a method throws an exception
transient	Declare a transient field (a field that is not serialized)
try	Create a try block
void	Declare a method that does not return a value
volatile	Declare a volatile field (a field that can be modified by multiple threads)
while	Create a while loop
true	A boolean literal representing true
false	A boolean literal representing false
null	A null literal representing a null reference

Related Reads: Data Types in Java