`operator`

The Python operator module provides functions that correspond to the Python operators. This module allows you to use operators as functions, which can be especially useful when combined with higher-order functions, such as map(), filter(), and reduce().

Here’s a quick example:

>>> import operator

>>> operator.add(1, 2)
3

Key Features

Provides function equivalents for standard Python operators
Supports Boolean, mathematical, comparison, identity, membership, and bitwise operations
Includes the is_none() and is_not_none() identity helpers, added in Python 3.14
Offers item and attribute getter functions for convenience

Frequently Used Classes and Functions

Object	Type	Description
`operator.add()`	Function	Adds two numbers
`operator.sub()`	Function	Subtracts the second number from the first
`operator.itemgetter()`	Function	Returns a callable that fetches an item from its operand
`operator.attrgetter()`	Function	Returns a callable that fetches an attribute from its operand
`operator.methodcaller()`	Function	Returns a callable that calls a method on its operand

Examples

Using the operator.sub() function:

>>> import operator

>>> operator.sub(4, 5)
-1

Using operator.itemgetter() to extract elements by index:

>>> import operator

>>> data = [(2, "b"), (1, "a"), (3, "c")]
>>> sorted(data, key=operator.itemgetter(1))
[(1, 'a'), (2, 'b'), (3, 'c')]

Common Use Cases

Replacing lambda functions with more readable operator functions
Using itemgetter() and attrgetter() for sorting and key extraction
Performing functional programming operations in a concise manner

Real-World Example

Suppose you have a list of tuples representing students’ grades, and you want to sort them by their scores:

>>> import operator

>>> students = [("John", 88), ("Jane", 92), ("Dave", 85)]
>>> sorted(students, key=operator.itemgetter(1), reverse=True)
[('Jane', 92), ('John', 88), ('Dave', 85)]

In this example, you use operator.itemgetter() to sort a list of tuples by the second element, providing a clear and efficient solution.

Tutorial

Operators and Expressions in Python

In Python, operators are special symbols, combinations of symbols, or keywords that designate some type of computation. You can combine objects and operators to build expressions that perform the actual computation. So, operators are the building blocks of expressions.

basics python

For additional information on related topics, take a look at the following resources:

Functional Programming in Python: When and How to Use It (Tutorial)
Python Operators and Expressions (Course)
Working With the Python operator Module (Tutorial)
Python's map(): Processing Iterables Without a Loop (Tutorial)
Python's filter(): Extract Values From Iterables (Tutorial)
Python's reduce(): From Functional to Pythonic Style (Tutorial)
How to Use Python Lambda Functions (Tutorial)
Operators and Expressions in Python (Quiz)
Using Functional Programming in Python (Course)
Functional Programming in Python: When and How to Use It (Quiz)
Python's map() Function: Transforming Iterables (Course)
Filtering Iterables With Python (Course)
Using Python Lambda Functions (Course)
Python Lambda Functions (Quiz)

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By Leodanis Pozo Ramos • Updated Oct. 15, 2026

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