Which characteristic defines object-oriented programming languages?

Object-oriented programming (OOP) languages are defined by their core principle of encapsulating data and functionality within structures known as objects. In OOP, an object is an instance of a class, which acts as a blueprint that defines the properties (data) and methods (functions or processes) that the object can use. This grouping of data along with its related processes allows for more organized, modular, and reusable code.

The characteristics of OOP, such as inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation, all stem from this fundamental idea of creating objects that contain both data and behavior. By doing so, OOP languages facilitate easier maintenance and scalability of software applications, as changes can often be made within a single class or object without affecting the entire code base.

Consequently, the definition highlighting the grouping of data and processes into objects captures the essence of what makes OOP distinctive and widely adopted in software development.