What must every statement in Java be terminated with?

In Java, every statement must be terminated with a semi-colon character. This requirement is essential for the Java compiler to recognize where a statement ends. Statements can include variable declarations, assignment operations, method calls, and control flow statements.

The semi-colon acts as a delimiter, allowing the compiler to parse the code correctly and understand when a complete instruction has been provided. Without it, the compiler would not know how to interpret the following lines of code, which could lead to syntax errors.

Understanding this convention in Java is fundamental to writing syntactically correct code, as it enables you to create logical sequences of operations and facilitates control over execution flows.