Logical Operators in Python

What Are Logical Operators?

Logical operators evaluate Boolean expressions and return True or False.

Operator Table

Operator	Description	Example
`and`	True if both operands are True	`True and False → False`
`or`	True if at least one operand is True	`True or False → True`
`not`	Inverts the Boolean value	`not True → False`

Basic Examples

x = 5
y = 10

# and
print(x > 0 and y > 0)   # True (both conditions True)

# or
print(x < 0 or y > 0)    # True (second condition True)

# not
print(not (x == y))      # True (x == y is False, not False → True)

Short‑Circuit Evaluation

Python stops evaluating as soon as the result is determined:

def side_effect():
    print("Function called")
    return True

print(False and side_effect())  # side_effect() not called
print(True or side_effect())    # side_effect() not called

Truthy & Falsy Values

Any object can be tested for truthiness:

name = ""
print(not name)        # True (empty string is falsy)

items = [1, 2, 3]
if items and len(items) > 2:
    print("List has items")

Best Practices

Keep expressions simple; break complex conditions into variables.
Remember short‑circuit rules when using functions with side effects.
Use any() and all() for multiple checks on iterables.
Prefer explicit comparisons over relying on truthiness when clarity matters.

Handy Functions

scores = [85, 90, 78]
print(all(score >= 70 for score in scores))  # True (all pass)
print(any(score < 60 for score in scores))   # False (none below 60)