What defines a keyword argument in a function?

A keyword argument in a function is defined by the practice of passing an argument by explicitly specifying the name of the parameter along with its value. This allows for greater clarity and flexibility in function calls, as the caller does not need to remember the order of the parameters. Instead, they can use the parameter names to provide values.

For instance, if a function takes parameters name and age, you can call this function using keyword arguments like this: function_name(name="Alice", age=30). This way, it becomes evident which value corresponds to which parameter, improving code readability.

This approach also enables you to skip optional parameters or provide them in a different order without confusion. Understanding how keyword arguments work is essential in Python, especially when dealing with functions that have multiple parameters, some of which may be optional.