What is the purpose of the 'del' statement in Python lists?

• A. To delete an entire list
• B. To remove a referenced element from a list
• C. To create a new list
• D. To add items to a list

Answer: (B)

The 'del' statement in Python is used to remove a referenced element from a list. When you use 'del' followed by the index of the element, it effectively deletes that specific element from the list, changing the size of the list and shifting the remaining elements to close the gap left by the deleted element.

For instance, if you have a list defined as my_list = [10, 20, 30, 40] and you execute del my_list[1], the list would then become [10, 30, 40], as the element 20 at index 1 would be removed.

The other options provided do not accurately represent the function of the 'del' statement. For example, while it is possible to delete an entire list using del, that is not the primary purpose of the 'del' statement. Additionally, 'del' does not create new lists or add items to existing ones; these functionalities are handled by different constructs in Python, such as list comprehensions or methods like append(). Hence, the most precise answer regarding the 'del' statement's intended use is its ability to remove a referenced element from an existing list.