Master Python Logical Operators from the Ground Up

Logical operators in Python

High‑school logic defines p∧q false when either operand is false, p∨q true when at least one operand is true, and ¬p the opposite. Python provides the same three operators.

Operators

and

– logical AND. Syntax a and b. Result is true only if both a and b are true; otherwise false. or – logical OR. Syntax a or b. Result is false only if both a and b are false; otherwise true. not – logical NOT. Syntax not a. Inverts the truth value of a.

Evaluation rules

For and, encountering any false operand makes the whole expression false.

For or, encountering any true operand makes the whole expression true. not simply flips the operand’s truth value.

Non‑boolean operands

Python’s logical operators can be applied to expressions of any type. The returned value is the last evaluated operand, so the result may be a non‑boolean object (e.g., 0 or 12 yields 12).

Example

print(100 > 1 and 200 > 2)
print(45 > 1 and 0 > 1)
print(False or 12)

Output

True
False
12