Polymorphism in Python is an object-oriented programming (OOP) principle that allows different classes to define methods with the same name but with different implementations. This enables flexibility and code reusability, as a single interface can be used for multiple types. Python supports polymorphism in several ways, including method overriding, method overloading (achieved through default arguments), and operator overloading.
One way to implement polymorphism is through method overriding, where a subclass provides a specific implementation of a method already defined in its parent class. For example, if a Bird class has a method speak(), different subclasses like Parrot and Penguin can override it with their own behavior. Another form of polymorphism is operator overloading, where special methods like __add__ are used to define how operators work for custom objects. Additionally, polymorphism can be applied to functions and loops that operate on different objects with the same method name, enabling generic programming. This makes Python a flexible and powerful language for handling different types of objects in a uniform manner.