What does it mean to instantiate an object?

Instantiating an object refers to the process of creating a specific instance of a class. In object-oriented programming, a class serves as a blueprint or template for creating objects, which are individual instances that hold data and can perform functions defined in the class. When you instantiate an object, you are essentially calling a constructor method associated with the class, which allocates memory and initializes the properties of that specific object.

For instance, if you have a class called 'Car', instantiating an object might involve creating a 'Car' instance named 'myCar' with its unique attributes like color, make, and model. This concept is fundamental in object-oriented programming as it allows developers to create multiple objects from a single class definition, each with its own state and behaviors.