What does the term 'inheritance' imply in object-oriented programming?

The term 'inheritance' in object-oriented programming refers specifically to the mechanism by which a new class, known as a subclass or child class, can extend the properties and methods of an existing class, referred to as a superclass or parent class. This concept allows the subclass to reuse code, leading to more efficient and organized code management.

By inheriting from a parent class, the child class automatically gains access to all non-private attributes and methods defined in the parent class. This not only promotes code reusability but also facilitates the creation of a hierarchical relationship between classes, which can enhance the logical structure of the code. Furthermore, subclasses can override or extend the behavior of inherited methods, allowing for customization without modifying the original parent class.

In contrast to the other options, simply copying functions does not capture the essence of inheritance, as it focuses on duplication rather than establishing a relationship between classes. The idea of combining different classes might refer to composition rather than inheritance, which involves creating complex types by combining simpler types. Lastly, creating functions dynamically does not relate to inheritance; it pertains more to the behavior of certain data structures or language features that allow for function generation at runtime but does not involve class relationships.