Can a class be both abstract and final? Why or why not?

No, a class cannot be both abstract and final in Java.

• abstract means the class cannot be instantiated directly and must be subclassed.

• final means the class cannot be subclassed.

Since an abstract class is meant to be extended and a final class cannot be extended, the two modifiers are contradictory.

In short: A class can’t be both abstract and final because they have opposite purposes regarding inheritance.