How to Use the Python List pop() Method

09/16/2021

Contents

In this article, you will learn how to use the Python list pop() method.

Python List pop() Method

The pop() method is a built-in function in Python lists that removes and returns the last element of a list. Here’s how to use the pop() method:

Syntax
list.pop([index])
Parameters
index: Specifies which element to remove and return. If the index is not specified, the last element is removed and returned.
Example
fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
popped_fruit = fruits.pop()
print(popped_fruit)   # Output: 'cherry'
print(fruits)         # Output: ['apple', 'banana']

In this example, the pop() method removes and returns the last element of the fruits list, which is ‘cherry’. The popped element is then assigned to the popped_fruit variable. Finally, the contents of the fruits list are printed, which shows that ‘cherry’ has been removed.

If you want to remove and return a specific element in the list, you can pass its index as an argument to the pop() method. For example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
popped_fruit = fruits.pop(1)
print(popped_fruit)   # Output: 'banana'
print(fruits)         # Output: ['apple', 'cherry']

In this example, the pop() method removes and returns the element at index 1, which is ‘banana’. The popped element is then assigned to the popped_fruit variable. Finally, the contents of the fruits list are printed, which shows that ‘banana’ has been removed and the remaining elements have been shifted left.

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