What are access modifiers in Java?

Answer

Java access control uses public, protected, package access, and private. • public members are accessible wherever the declaring type is accessible. • private members are accessible only within the top-level class or interface that encloses the declaration and its nestmates under JVM rules. • Omitting an access modifier gives package access; protected also permits defined subclass access.

Example

class Account {
    private int balance;
    public int balance() { return balance; }
}

Quick Revision

Access modifiers control visibility across classes, packages, and subclasses.