MemoryError
In Python, MemoryError is a built-in exception that occurs when your program runs out of memory. This typically happens when you try to allocate more memory than is available on your system.
Python raises a MemoryError to signal that it can’t fulfill a memory allocation request, such as creating a large list or loading a large file into memory.
MemoryError Occurs When
- Handling large data processing tasks where memory constraints are a concern
- Implementing fail-safes in applications that handle memory-intensive operations
- Writing applications that need to run on systems with limited memory resources
Related Resources
Tutorial
Python's Built-in Exceptions: A Walkthrough With Examples
In this tutorial, you'll get to know some of the most commonly used built-in exceptions in Python. You'll learn when these exceptions can appear in your code and how to handle them. Finally, you'll learn how to raise some of these exceptions in your code.
For additional information on related topics, take a look at the following resources:
- Working With Python's Built-in Exceptions (Course)
- Memory Management in Python (Tutorial)
- Python Exceptions: An Introduction (Tutorial)
- Python's Built-in Exceptions: A Walkthrough With Examples (Quiz)
- How Python Manages Memory (Course)
- Memory Management in Python (Quiz)
- Introduction to Python Exceptions (Course)
- Raising and Handling Python Exceptions (Course)
- Python Exceptions: An Introduction (Quiz)
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By Leodanis Pozo Ramos • Updated Oct. 5, 2026
