Why can’t a lambda function have statements in Python?

The body of a lambda must be one expression, because a lambda is only a short way to write a function that returns the value of that expression. Statements such as return, for, while, pass or an assignment are not expressions, so they are not allowed. Writing one gives a SyntaxError.

# This is NOT allowed
f = lambda x: return x * 2

You can still use an expression that makes a choice, like a conditional expression.

positive = lambda x: x if x > 0 else 0

print(positive(-5))
print(positive(8))

Output:

If you need many lines, loops or several statements, write a normal function with def. Also read What is a lambda function?

• Previous Interview Question
• Next Interview Question

---

Tutorials
No Content Found.

Exercises & Assignments
No Content Found.

Interview Questions & Answers
No Content Found.