Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
When a method in a subclass has the same name, parameters, and return type as a method in its superclass, it can override or replace the implementation of that method in order to provide a different behavior.
Related terms
Method Overloading: Method overloading allows multiple methods with the same name but different parameters in a class. The compiler determines which method to call based on the arguments provided.
Inheritance hierarchy represents the relationship between classes through inheritance. It forms a tree-like structure where subclasses inherit from superclasses, creating parent-child relationships.
Dynamic Binding: Dynamic binding is the process by which method calls are resolved during runtime rather than compile-time. This enables polymorphism by allowing objects of different classes to be treated as objects of their superclass.