Understanding the synchronized Keyword in Java: Thread Safety Explained

The `synchronized` keyword in Java ensures thread safety by controlling access to shared resources. It locks a method or block so that only one thread can execute it at a time. This prevents race conditions, where multiple threads modify shared data simultaneously.

Here’s an example:

public class Counter {
    private int count = 0;

    public synchronized void increment() {
        count++;
    }
}

In this example, the `synchronized` keyword ensures that the `increment` method is thread-safe. However, excessive synchronization can lead to performance issues, so use it wisely to balance thread safety and efficiency.