An arbitrary argument list is a Python feature to call a function with an arbitrary number of arguments. It’s based on the asterisk “unpacking” operator *
. To catch an arbitrary number of function arguments in a tuple args
, use the asterisk syntax *args
within your function definition. For example, the function def f(*args): ...
allows for an arbitrary number, and type, of arguments such as f(1)
, f(1, 2)
, or even f('Alice', 1, 2, (3, 4))
.
This quickstart tutorial introduces a useful Python trick: arbitrary argument lists.
Syntax & Calls
Syntax:f(*args): ...
Calls:f(1)
--->args = (1,)
f(1, 2)
--->args = (1, 2)
f('Alice', 1, 2, (3, 4))
--->args =
('Alice', 1, 2, (3, 4))
Example Arbitrary Arguments
Example: Suppose, you want to create a function that allows an arbitrary number of arguments. An example is recognizing faces in images where each image consists of one or more pixel arrays.
Solution Idea: You can achieve this by adding the asterisk-prefixed *pixelArrays
as a function argument. This packs an arbitrary number of arguments into the variable pixelArrays and stores it as a tuple. You can access the tuple values via indexing or iteration in a for
loop.
def recognize_faces(*pixelArrays): for arr in pixelArrays: for i in range(1, len(arr)): if arr[i] == arr[i-1]: print('Face Detected') recognize_faces([1, 0, 1, 1], [0, 0, 0, 0], [1, 0, 0, 1]) ''' Face Detected Face Detected Face Detected Face Detected Face Detected '''
This dummy code goes over each pixel array and checks if two subsequent values are the same. If this is the case, it detects a face. While this obviously doesn’t make sense, it still shows how to iterate over each argument when an arbitrary number of arguments may be available.
Let’s test your skills with the following code puzzle.
Python Puzzle Arbitrary Argument Lists
def f(a, *arguments): print(a) for arg in arguments: print(arg) f("A", "B", "C")
What is the output of this code snippet?
Note: You can combine both types of arguments: formal arguments (e.g. a
in the puzzle) and an arbitrary argument list (e.g. *arguments
in the puzzle). If called with many arguments, the arbitrary argument list will handle all but the formal arguments.
Are you a master coder?
Test your skills now!
Related Video
Programmer Humor


While working as a researcher in distributed systems, Dr. Christian Mayer found his love for teaching computer science students.
To help students reach higher levels of Python success, he founded the programming education website Finxter.com that has taught exponential skills to millions of coders worldwide. He’s the author of the best-selling programming books Python One-Liners (NoStarch 2020), The Art of Clean Code (NoStarch 2022), and The Book of Dash (NoStarch 2022). Chris also coauthored the Coffee Break Python series of self-published books. He’s a computer science enthusiast, freelancer, and owner of one of the top 10 largest Python blogs worldwide.
His passions are writing, reading, and coding. But his greatest passion is to serve aspiring coders through Finxter and help them to boost their skills. You can join his free email academy here.