List Methods & Operations
Python lists have powerful built-in methods for adding, removing, searching, and manipulating elements.
15 min•By Priygop Team•Updated 2026
List Methods
List Methods
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "banana"]
# Adding
fruits.append("date") # add to end
fruits.insert(0, "avocado") # insert at position
fruits.extend(["fig", "grape"]) # add multiple
# Removing
fruits.remove("banana") # remove first occurrence
popped = fruits.pop() # remove & return last
popped_at = fruits.pop(0) # remove & return at index
# del fruits[0] # delete at index
# Searching
print(fruits.index("cherry")) # find index
print(fruits.count("banana")) # count occurrences
# Sorting
numbers = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6]
numbers.sort() # sort in place
print(numbers)
numbers.sort(reverse=True) # sort descending
print(numbers)
# Copy (avoid aliasing bugs!)
original = [1, 2, 3]
copy1 = original.copy() # shallow copy
copy2 = original[:] # slice copy
copy3 = list(original) # constructor copy
# Joining lists
a = [1, 2]
b = [3, 4]
c = a + b # [1, 2, 3, 4]
d = a * 3 # [1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2]
print(c, d)Tip
Tip
Use list.copy() or list[:] to avoid aliasing bugs. a = b makes both point to the SAME list — changes to one affect the other.
Diagram
Loading diagram…
List for mutable sequences, tuple for immutable data, set for unique items
Common Mistake
Warning
list.sort() modifies in place and returns None. sorted(list) returns a new sorted list. Don't do x = mylist.sort() — x will be None.
Practice Task
Note
(1) Sort a list ascending and descending. (2) Remove duplicates using set(). (3) Demonstrate the aliasing bug and fix it with .copy().