What describes the ability of a program to decide at runtime which subclass implementation to run?

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Polymorphism describes the ability of a program to decide at runtime which subclass implementation to run. This happens through dynamic binding, where a call to a method is resolved to the subclass’s overridden version based on the actual object type at runtime. For example, if you have a base class with a method like makeSound, and Dog and Cat override it, a reference typed as the base class that points to a Dog will execute Dog’s makeSound, while pointing to a Cat will execute Cat’s makeSound. This runtime decision lets a single interface work consistently across different concrete types. Encapsulation is about bundling data and behavior and controlling access; abstraction focuses on exposing essential features while hiding details; inheritance is about defining a new class from an existing one.