Last Updated : 08 Mar, 2025
sorted() function returns a new sorted list from the elements of any iterable like (e.g., list, tuples, strings ). It creates and returns a new sorted list and leaves the original iterable unchanged.
Let's start with a basic example of sorting a list of numbers using the sorted() function.
Python
a = [4, 1, 3, 2]
# Using sorted() to create a new sorted list without modifying the original list
b = sorted(a)
print(b)
Syntax of sorted() function
Parameters:sorted(iterable, key=None, reverse=False)
When no additional parameters are provided then It arranges the element in increasing order.
Python
a = [5, 2, 9, 1, 3]
#Sorted() arranges the list in ascending order
b = sorted(a)
print(b)
Sorting in descending order
To sort an iterable in descending order, set the reverse argument to True.
Python
a = [5, 2, 9, 1, 5, 6]
# "reverse= True" helps sorted() to arrange the element
#from largest to smallest elements
res = sorted(a, reverse=True)
print(res)
[9, 6, 5, 5, 2, 1]Sorting using key parameter
The key parameter is an optional argument that allows us to customize the sort order.
Sorting Based on String Length: Python
a = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "date"]
res = sorted(a, key=len)
print(res)
['date', 'apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
Explanation: The key parameter is set to len, which sorts the words by their length in ascending order.
Sorting a List of Dictionaries: Python
a = [
{"name": "Alice", "score": 85},
{"name": "Bob", "score": 91},
{"name": "Eve", "score": 78}
]
# Use sorted() to sort the list 'a' based on the 'score' key
# sorted() returns a new list with dictionaries sorted by the 'score'
b = sorted(a, key=lambda x: x['score'])
print(b)
[{'name': 'Eve', 'score': 78}, {'name': 'Alice', 'score': 85}, {'name': 'Bob', 'score': 91}]
Explanation: key=lambda x: x['score'] specifies that the sorting should be done using the 'score' value from each dictionary
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