What is the purpose of the synchronized keyword in Java?

The synchronized keyword in Java is used to provide thread safety by ensuring that only one thread at a time can access a shared resource or object. When a method or block of code is marked as synchronized, the thread that wants to execute the code must first acquire a lock on the object associated with that code. Once a thread has acquired the lock, it is guaranteed exclusive access to the code until it releases the lock.

The purpose of the synchronized keyword is to prevent race conditions and ensure that shared resources are accessed safely in a multithreaded environment. Without synchronization, multiple threads could access and modify a shared resource at the same time, leading to unpredictable and undesirable results. By using the synchronized keyword, we can ensure that only one thread at a time can access a shared resource, preventing race conditions and ensuring thread safety.