Java Keywords with Definitions (Alphabetically Ordered)
abstract – Used to declare a class or method that is incomplete and must be implemented
by subclasses.
assert – Used to test assumptions in the code; throws an error if the condition is false.
boolean – A data type that can hold only two values: true or false.
break – Exits a loop or switch statement prematurely.
byte – A data type to store 8-bit signed integers.
case – Defines individual conditions in a switch statement.
catch – Defines a block of code to handle exceptions thrown by a try block.
char – A data type that holds a single 16-bit Unicode character.
class – Used to declare a class in Java.
const – Reserved keyword, but not used in Java (present for compatibility).
continue – Skips the current iteration of a loop and jumps to the next one.
default – Defines the default block of code in a switch or a method implementation in
interfaces.
do – Used to start a do-while loop, which executes at least once.
double – A data type that stores 64-bit floating-point numbers.
else – Defines the block of code to run if the if condition is false.
enum – Defines an enumeration, a list of named constants.
exports – Declares that a module makes a package available to other modules.
extends – Indicates that a class inherits from a superclass or an interface inherits another.
final – Used to declare constants, methods that can't be overridden, or classes that can't be
extended.
finally – Defines a block that always executes after try and catch, for cleanup operations.
float – A data type for 32-bit floating-point numbers.
for – Starts a for loop for iterating over values.
goto – Reserved keyword, but not used in Java (for compatibility).
if – Executes a block if the condition is true.
implements – Indicates that a class implements an interface.
import – Allows use of classes and packages from other packages.
instanceof – Tests if an object is an instance of a specific class or subclass.
int – A data type that stores 32-bit signed integers.
interface – Declares an interface, a contract of methods without implementation.
long – A data type that stores 64-bit signed integers.
module – Declares a named module in Java's module system.
native – Specifies that a method is implemented in native (non-Java) code.
new – Allocates memory for new objects.
null – A literal representing the absence of a value or object reference.
open – Opens a module for deep reflection.
opens – Opens a package to specific modules for reflection.
package – Defines the namespace or location of a class.
private – An access modifier; the member is accessible only within the class.
protected – Allows access within the same package and subclasses.
provides – Used in module declaration to define service implementations.
public – Access modifier; allows access from any class.
requires – Declares module dependencies.
return – Exits a method and optionally returns a value.
short – A data type that stores 16-bit signed integers.
static – Declares class-level members shared by all instances.
strictfp – Ensures floating-point calculations follow IEEE 754 standard.
super – Refers to the parent class of the current object.
switch – Executes one block of code based on the value of a variable.
synchronized – Ensures that a method or block is thread-safe.
this – Refers to the current object instance.
throw – Used to throw an exception manually.
throws – Declares exceptions that a method might throw.
to – Used in module declarations to define accessibility.
transient – Prevents a field from being serialized.
transitive – Specifies a required module’s dependencies are also required.
true – A literal Boolean value representing truth.
try – Starts a block to test code for exceptions.
uses – Declares a service used by a module.
var – Declares local variables with inferred type.
void – Specifies that a method doesn’t return a value.
volatile – Ensures visibility and ordering of a variable among threads.
while – Starts a while loop; runs as long as condition is true.
yield – Returns a value from a switch expression.
