How to Use an Or Operator in Python With Examples?

Python has three Boolean operators: and, or, and not. You can use them to test situations and determine which execution path your programs will take. You’ll learn about Python or operators and how to use them, in this article.

Python’s Boolean Operators

Python contains three Boolean operators that are written in plain English:

These operators join Boolean expressions (as well as objects) to form compound Boolean expressions.

Because the Python Boolean operators always take two Boolean expressions or two objects or a combination of the two, they are classified as binary operators.

In this article, you’ll learn about the Python or operator, which implements the logical OR operation in Python. You’ll discover how it works and how to apply it.

OR Operator in Python

The Python OR Operator accepts at least two boolean expressions and returns True if any of them is True. It returns False if all of the expressions are False.

Flowchart of Python OR Operator

Truth Table for Python OR Operator

Expression 1	Expression 2	Result
True	True	True
True	False	True
False	True	True
False	False	False

Using the OR Operator in Python with a Boolean Expression

If any of the boolean expressions supplied is True, the Python OR operator returns True.

Example: Or Operator with Boolean Expression

bool1 = 2>3

bool2 = 2<3

print('bool1:', bool1)

print('bool2:', bool2)

# or operator

OR = bool1 or bool2

print("OR operator:", OR)

Output

bool1: False
bool2: True
OR operator: True

Using the OR Operator in Python in if

In the if statement, we can utilize the OR operator. It can be used when we wish to execute the if block if any of the conditions turns True.

Example: Or Operator with if statement

# or operator with if

def fun(a):

if a >= 5 or a <= 15:

print('a lies between 5 and 15')

else:

print('a is either less than 5 or greater than 15')

# driver code

fun(10)

fun(20)

fun(5)

Output

a lies between 5 and 15
a lies between 5 and 15
a lies between 5 and 15

We can see from the output that the code for the if statement is always executed. Because one of the boolean expressions will always be True for any value of a the else block will never be executed.

Short Circuit Python OR Operator

The Python Or operator always evaluates the statement until it finds a True, and once that happens, the rest of the expression is ignored. Consider the following example to gain a better idea.

Example: Short Circuit in Python OR Operator

# short circuit in Python or operator
def true():
    print("Inside True")
    return True
 
def false():
    print("Inside False")
    return False
 
case1 = true() or false()
print("Case 1")
print(case1)
print()
 
case2 = true() or true()
print("Case 2")
print(case2)
print()
 
case3 = false() or false()
print("Case 3")
print(case3)
print()
 
case4 = false() or true()
print("Case 4")
print(case4)

Output

Inside True
Case 1
True

Inside True
Case 2
True

Inside False
Inside False
Case 3
False

Inside False
Inside True
Case 4
True

We can see from the preceding example that the short circuit or lazy evaluation is used. Cases 1 and 2 do not evaluate the second expression since the first expression returns True, however, Cases 3 and 4 do evaluate the second expression because the first expression does not return True.

Conclusion

We taught how to utilize Python or logical operator with boolean expression, python in if, and short circuit with well-explained examples in this Python Examples course.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Python, How Do You Check or Condition?

In Python, an if-else conditional statement is used when a scenario leads to two conditions, one of which must be true.

In Python, What Are or $ and?

And $ or (together with not) are logical operators in Python. Both require two operands that can be true or false. Only if both operands are True does the and operator return True.

In Python, What is the Difference Between () and []?

() represents a tuple: An unchanging set of values, typically (but not always) of diverse types. [] contains a list: A modifiable collection of values that are usually (but not always) of the same type.