What is polymorphism in programming?

Polymorphism in programming refers to the ability of different classes to implement the same interface or method and respond in unique ways to the same function call. This concept is a core principle of object-oriented programming, allowing for a more flexible and dynamic code structure. By using polymorphism, a programmer can define a method in a base class and then override it in derived classes. When a method is called on an object, the specific implementation that gets executed is determined at runtime based on the actual object type. This allows for code that is easier to manage and extend, as new classes can be added with minimal changes to existing code.

The significance of polymorphism lies in its capacity to handle various types of objects through a common interface, thus supporting code reuse and enabling developers to write more generic and scalable code. Its implementation often appears in function overloading and method overriding, where different classes can have methods with the same name but distinct functionalities.