What is an instance variable in Java?

In Java, instance variables refer to variables belonging to an object of a class. Each instance of a class will have its own set of independent instance variables, which are initialized when the object is created and can be accessed and modified throughout the object’s entire lifespan. Instance variables typically represent the object’s attributes or state, and each instance has its own set of instance variables. These variables are declared in the class but allocated memory and initialized when an object is created. Each instance variable has its own copy and is independent between different objects.