Declare an Empty List in Python

Last Updated : 12 Jul, 2025

Declaring an empty list in Python creates a list with no elements, ready to store data dynamically. We can initialize it using [] or list() and later add elements as needed.

Using Square Brackets []

We can create an empty list in Python by just placing the sequence inside the square brackets[]. To declare an empty list just assign a variable with square brackets.

Output

[]
<class 'list'>
0

Explanation:

a = []: Initializes an empty list and assigns it to variable a.
print(a): Prints the empty list [].
print(type(a)): Prints the type of a, which is <class 'list'>, confirming that a is a list.
print(len(a)): Prints the length of a, which is 0, since the list is empty.

Using the list() Constructor

list() constructor is used to create a list in Python. It returns an empty list if no parameters are passed.

Output

[]
<class 'list'>
0

Explanation:

a = list(): Initializes an empty list using the list() constructor and assigns it to variable a.
print(a): Prints the empty list [].
print(type(a)): Prints the type of a, which is <class 'list'>, confirming that a is a list.
print(len(a)): Prints the length of a, which is 0, since the list is empty.