What does the term 'static' imply about a variable or function?

The term 'static' indicates that a variable or function is shared among all instances of a class. When a variable or method is declared as static, it belongs to the class itself rather than to any particular instance of the class. This means that all instances of the class can access the static variable or method without needing to create an instance.

Static variables can be used for options where a value needs to be consistent across all instances, such as counting the total number of instances created or maintaining a shared resource. Static methods also can access static variables directly, which allows for easier management of these shared resources or utilities associated with the class itself.

In contrast, options suggesting that the term implies that a variable is specific to one instance or that it can only be accessed through object references do not capture the essence of how static members function. Additionally, the notion that a static variable cannot be modified once initialized is inaccurate, as static variables can indeed be modified, and their state can change across instances.