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Table of Contents
What final actually Means
final ≠ Immutability
How to Achieve True Immutability
Common Misconceptions
Summary
Home Java javaTutorial Understanding the Java `final` Keyword and Immutability

Understanding the Java `final` Keyword and Immutability

Jul 27, 2025 am 01:33 AM

final is not equal to object immutable in Java. It only ensures that variable references cannot be reassigned, and does not guarantee that the state of the object pointed to is immutable; 2. For basic types, final ensures that the value remains unchanged; for object types, references are immutable but the object content can still be modified; 3. To achieve true immutability, it is necessary to satisfy: the class is declared as final, all fields are private final, no setter method, constructor initialization and no mutable state is leaked; 4. If the field is a mutable object, external modifications need to be prevented by defensive copying and returning an unmodified view; 5. The final field has the JMM memory model guarantee, ensuring that the object is correctly published under multiple threads; 6. A common misunderstanding is that final automatically brings immutability, but in fact final only locks references, the object itself may still be mutable.

Understanding the Java `final` Keyword and Immutability

The final keyword in Java is often associated with immutability, but it's important to understand what it actually guarantees—and what it doesn't. Many developers assume that marking something as final makes it immutable, but that's only part of the story. Let's break this down clearly.

Understanding the Java `final` Keyword and Immutability

What final actually Means

The final keyword can be applied to variables, methods, and classes, and it has a different meaning in each context:

  • final variable : The variable cannot be reassigned once initialized.
  • final method : The method cannot be overridden in a subclass.
  • final class : The class cannot be subclassed.

When people talk about immutability, they're usually focusing on final variables—especially object references.

Understanding the Java `final` Keyword and Immutability
 final int x = 5;
x = 10; // Compile error!

final List<String> list = new ArrayList<>();
list.add("Hello"); // This is allowed
list = new ArrayList<>(); // Compile error!

Notice: the list reference is final, so you can't point it to a new object, but the object it refers to can still be modified.

final ≠ Immutability

Here's the key point: final ensures reference immutability, not object immutability.

Understanding the Java `final` Keyword and Immutability

That means:

  • You can't change where the final variable points.
  • But if it points to a mutable object (like an ArrayList ), the contents of that object can still change.

So this code compiles and runs just fine:

 final StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder("Hello");
sb.append(" World"); // Perfectly legal

The reference sb is fixed, but the object it refers to is mutable, so its internal state changes.

To achieve true immutability, you need:

  1. A final reference (so it can't be reassigned), and
  2. An object whose internal state cannot change.

How to Achieve True Immutability

For a class to be truly immutable, follow these practices:

  • Declare the class as final (or ensure all methods are final and construction is controlled).
  • Make all fields private and final .
  • Don't provide setter methods.
  • Initialize all fields via constructor, and don't expose mutable state.
  • If fields are objects, make defensive copies when necessary.

Example of an immutable class:

 public final class Person {
    private final String name;
    private final int age;

    public Person(String name, int age) {
        this.name = name;
        this.age = age;
    }

    public String getName() { return name; }
    public int getAge() { return age; }
}

Now, any instance of Person cannot be changed after creation—this is true immutability.

But watch out for this trap:

 public final class BadImmutable {
    private final List<String> hobbies;

    public BadImmutable(List<String> hobbies) {
        this.hobbies = hobbies; // No defensive copy!
    }

    public List<String> getHobbies() {
        return hobbies;
    }
}

Even though hobbies is final , the list passed in can still be modified externally unless you make a defendive copy:

 this.hobbies = new ArrayList<>(hobbies); // Safe copy

And return it as unmodifiable:

 public List<String> getHobbies() {
    return Collections.unmodifiableList(hobbies);
}

Common Misconceptions

  • ? " final makes an object immutable" → No, it only makes the reference constant.
  • ? "Immutable objects don't need final fields" → Without final , even if you don't provide setters, the field could theoretically be changed via reflection or in multi-threaded contexts.
  • ? final helps the JVM optimize and enforces safe publication in threads (especially for immutable objects).

In fact, the Java Memory Model gives special guarantees for final fields: once an object is constructed, other threads will see the correct values of final fields without additional synchronization.

Summary

  • final on a variable means the reference can't be changed.
  • It does not prevent modification of the object being referred to.
  • True immutability requires both final references and immutable state.
  • Use final classes, private final fields, no setters, and defending copying when needed.

So while final is a critical tool for building immutable objects, it's just one piece of the puzzle. Don't assume final = immutable—look deeper at the object's behavior.

Basically: final locks the reference, not the object.

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