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Python - Create an Empty List

Last Updated : May 01, 2025

In Python, creating an empty list is a basic need when you want to store a collection of items that will be added later during program execution. An empty list can be created either using a pair of square brackets [] with no elements inside or using the list() constructor.

Creating an Empty List Using Square Brackets

You can create an empty list in Python using a pair of square brackets []. This is the most common and straightforward way to initialize an empty list.

Example

In this example, we are creating an empty list using square brackets.

# Creating an empty list 
# using square brackets
my_list = []

# Display the empty list
print("Empty list:", my_list)

The output of the above code would be:

Empty list: []

Creating an Empty List Using the list() Constructor

Another way to create an empty list is by using the built-in list() function without passing any element.

Example

In this example, we are creating an empty list using the list() constructor.

# Creating an empty list using 
# the list() function
my_list = list()

# Display the empty list
print("Empty list:", my_list)

The output of the above code would be:

Empty list: []

Exercise

Select the correct option to complete each statement about creating and using empty lists in Python.

1. Which of the following correctly creates an empty list in Python? --Select-- [] {} ()
2. What is the type of an empty list created using []? --Select-- list dict tuple
3. Which function can also be used to create an empty list? --Select-- list() empty() array()