Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Overloading constructors refers to the ability to have multiple constructors in a class, each with a different set of parameters. This allows objects to be created with different initial states or configurations.
Related terms
Method overloading: This is similar to constructor overloading but applies to regular methods instead. It allows multiple methods in a class with the same name but different parameter lists.
Default constructor: A default constructor is a constructor without any parameters. It is automatically provided by Java if no other constructors are defined in the class.
Parameterized constructor: A parameterized constructor is one that takes one or more parameters. It allows you to initialize instance variables with specific values during object creation.