ReentrantLock provides more flexible thread control in Java than synchronized. 1. It supports non-blocking acquisition locks (tryLock()), lock acquisition with timeout (tryLock(long timeout, TimeUnit unit)) and interruptible wait locks; 2. Allows to set fair locks to avoid thread hunger; 3. Supports multiple condition variables to achieve a more refined wait/notification mechanism; 4. Need to manually release the lock, unlock() must be called in finally blocks to avoid resource leakage; 5. It is suitable for scenarios that require advanced synchronization control, such as custom synchronization tools or complex concurrent structures, but synchronized is still recommended for simple mutually exclusive needs.
A ReentrantLock in Java is a synchronization tool that gives you more control over how threads access shared resources compared to the standard synchronized
keyword. It's part of the java.util.concurrent.locks
package and support advanced features like trying for a lock without blocking, attempting with a timeout, or even interrupting a thread that's waiting for a lock.

What Does "Reentrant" Mean?
The term reentrant refers to the fact that if a thread already holds a lock, it can re-enter (acquire it again) without causing a deadlock. This behavior mirrors how synchronized blocks work in Java but gives you explicit control when using ReentrantLock
.
For example:

- If one method locks the object and calls another method on the same object that also tries to acquire the same lock, it doesn't block because the thread already owns the lock.
This feature avoids certain types of deadlocks and makes recursive locking possible.
How Is It Different from synchronized
?
While both synchronized
and ReentrantLock
provides mutual exclusion, there are key differences:

Flexibility : With
synchronized
, you don't have much control — once you enter a synchronized block, the thread waits until the lock becomes available.ReentrantLock
lets you try to acquire the lock without blocking (tryLock()
), wait only up to a certain time (tryLock(long timeout, TimeUnit unit)
), or interrupt a waiting thread.Fairness Option : You can create a
ReentrantLock
with a fairness policy. A fair lock tends to offer the lock to the longest-waiting thread, which can help avoid starvation, though it might come at a performance cost.Condition Variables :
ReentrantLock
allows multiple condition objects via itsnewCondition()
method, giving finer control over signaling and waiting logic than the single condition associated withObject.wait()
andnotify()
used withsynchronized
.
When Should You Use It?
You might want to use ReentrantLock
instead of synchronized
in these cases:
- You need a non-blocking attempt to acquire a lock.
- You want to support timeouts or interrupts during lock acquisition.
- Your application benefits from a fair locking mechanism.
- You're building complex synchronization constructs (like custom semaphores or barriers).
However, if your needs are simple — just mutual exclusion without special features — stick with synchronized
. It's less error-prone because the JVM automatically releases the lock when exiting a block, whereas with ReentrantLock
, you must manually call unlock()
inside a finally
block to avoid leaks.
Here's a quick usage example:
ReentrantLock lock = new ReentrantLock(); lock.lock(); try { // critical section } finally { lock.unlock(); }
This pattern ensures the lock gets released even if an exception occurs inside the critical section.
One Gotcha: Always Unlock in a Finally Block
Unlike synchronized
, where releasing the lock is automatic, forgetting to call unlock()
can lead to deadlocks or resource leaks. That's why it's cruel to always wrap the critical code inside a try
block and call unlock()
in a finally
block.
Also, be aware that unlike synchronized
, ReentrantLock
does not implicitly associate with the object it protects — so it's easier to misuse if not handled carefully.
Using ReentrantLock
adds flexibility but also responsibility. It's a powerful tool when you need more nuanced control over concurrency, but it's easy to shoot yourself in the foot if you're not careful with lock management. For most straightforward cases, synchronized
still works fine.
Basically that's it.
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