How to remove an element from a dictionary in Python ( in 3 ways )

In this tutorial we will learn how to remove an element from a dictionary in Python . Python dictionary has 3 built-in methods to do it . They are as follows –

• Python Dictionary popitem() method
• Python Dictionary pop() method
• Python Dictionary clear() method

Let us have a look about all this methods with examples –

Python Dictionary popitem() method

It removes an arbitrary item (key:value pair) from a given dictionary and returns it as a tuple like (key, value) . If the dictionary is empty then it will raise KeyError .

Syntax of popitem() method

dictionary.popitem()

Parameters of popitem() method

This method does not have any parameter .

Return type of popitem() method

It returns the removed item as a tuple .

Examples of Python dictionary popitem() method

Example 1: Remove an arbitrary item from a dictionary in Python

# declaring a dictionary
marks={"math":90,"physics":80,"chemistry":88}

# deleting an arbitrary element
item=marks.popitem()

# printing the dictionary
print(marks)

# printing the deleted item
print(item)

{'math': 90, 'physics': 80}
('chemistry', 88)

• In the above code first we have declared a dictionary named marks as {"math":90, "physics":80, "chemistry":88}
• Then we have deleted an arbitrary item from the dictionary using popitem() method and stored the returned value in item variable .
• After that we have printed the dictionary and the item variable . From the output we can see that an arbitrary element is deleted from the dictionary and returned as a tuple .

Example 2: Try to use the method in an empty dictionary

# declaring an empty dictionary
marks={}

# deleting an arbitrary element
item=marks.popitem()

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
KeyError                                  Traceback (most recent call last)
C:\Users\RAJKUM~1\AppData\Local\Temp/ipykernel_11084/3536771711.py in <module>
      3 
      4 # deleting an arbitrary element
----> 5 item=marks.popitem()

KeyError: 'popitem(): dictionary is empty'

• In the above code first we have declared an empty dictionary .
• Then we have tried to remove an arbitrary item from the dictionary using popitem() method .
• As we can not delete item from an empty dictionary so popitem() method raised KeyError .

Example 3: Remove all item from a dictionary in Python

Using popitem() method and for-loop we can delete all item from a dictionary in Python .

# declaring a dictionary
marks={"math":90,"physics":80,"chemistry":88}

# deleting all item
for no in range(len(marks)):
    marks.popitem()
    
# printing the dictionary
print(marks)

{}

Python Dictionary pop() method

It removes an item from a given dictionary associated with the specified key and returns its value . If the key is not found then it will return the default value . If the key is not found and default value is not provided then it will raise KeyError .

Syntax of pop() method

dictionary.pop(key[,default])

Parameters of pop() method

• key = It is the key of the dictionary item which will be deleted from the dictionary .
• default = Optional . If the key is not found then this default value will be returned .

Return type of pop() method

It returns the value of the specified key . If the key is not found in the dictionary then the default value will be returned .

Examples of Python dictionary pop() method

Example 1: Remove a specified key from a dictionary in Python

# declaring a dictionary
marks={"math":90,"physics":80,"chemistry":88}

# deleting math from the dictionary
value=marks.pop("math")

# printing the dictionary
print(marks)

# printing the deleted item
print(value)

{'physics': 80, 'chemistry': 88}
90

• In the above code first we have declared a dictionary named marks as {"math":90, "physics":80, "chemistry":88}
• Then we have deleted an "math" key from the dictionary using pop() method and stored the returned value in value variable .
• After that we have printed the dictionary and the value variable . From the output we can see that "math" key is deleted from the dictionary and the value of "math" key is returned .

Example 2: Try to delete a key which is not in the dictionary

# declaring a dictionary
marks={"math":90,"physics":80,"chemistry":88}

# deleting math from the dictionary
value=marks.pop("biology")

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
KeyError                                  Traceback (most recent call last)
C:\Users\RAJKUM~1\AppData\Local\Temp/ipykernel_11084/40693254.py in <module>
      3 
      4 # deleting math from the dictionary
----> 5 value=marks.pop("biology")

KeyError: 'biology'

• In the above code we have tried to delete "biology" key from the marks dictionary .
• As "biology" key is not found in the dictionary and we did not give any default argument so the program has raised Keyerror .

Example 3: Use of default parameter

# declaring a dictionary
marks={"math":90,"physics":80,"chemistry":88}

# deleting math from the dictionary
value=marks.pop("biology","key not found")

# printing the dictionary
print(marks)

# printing the deleted item
print(value)

{'math': 90, 'physics': 80, 'chemistry': 88}
key not found

In the above code as "biology" key is not found in the dictionary so it has returned the default value .

Python Dictionary clear() method

It removes all items from a given dictionary .

Syntax of clear() method

dictionary.clear()

Parameters of clear() method

This method does not have any parameter .

Return type of clear() method

It returns None . .

Examples of Python dictionary clear() method

Example 1: Remove all item from a dictionary in Python

# declaring a dictionary
marks={"math":90,"physics":80,"chemistry":88}

# deleting all element from the dictionary
marks.clear()

# printing the dictionary
print(marks)

{}

• In the above code first we have declared a dictionary named marks as {"math":90, "physics":80, "chemistry":88}
• Then we have deleted all the item from the dictionary using clear() method .
• After that we have printed the dictionary . From the output we can see that all items are deleted from the dictionary .

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