---
title: "Why can't static methods be abstract in Java"  
description: "Why can't static methods be abstract in Java"  
author: "Anonymous User"  
published: 2015-07-27  
updated: 2015-07-27  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/23379/why-can-t-static-methods-be-abstract-in-java  
category: "java"  
tags: ["java", "abstract class"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# Why can't static methods be abstract in Java

The [question](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/23175/how-to-solve-neet-question-paper-in-less-time) is in [Java](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12214/web-development-company-in-india-laid-on-the-foundation-of-concrete-java-programming) why can't I [define](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/audio/1110/lifestyles-choices-that-define-our-lives) an [abstract](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/156718/when-to-use-abstract-classes-in-c-sharp) [static method](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/440/creating-static-methods-in-c-sharp)? for example

```
abstract class foo {    abstract void bar( ); // <-- this is ok    abstract static void bar2(); //<-- this isn't why?}
```

## Replies

### Reply by Anonymous User

Since "***abstract***" means: "**Implements no functionality**"and, "***[static](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12098/the-static-keyword-the-static-methods)***" means: "**There is functionality even if you don't have an object instance**". And that's a logical contradiction.


---

Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/23379/why-can-t-static-methods-be-abstract-in-java

Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.