Protected
✖
Protected
Details

- Many built‐in Wolfram Language functions have the attribute Protected.
- SetOptions can be used on symbols with attribute Protected that do not also have the Locked attribute.
Examples
open allclose allBasic Examples (2)Summary of the most common use cases
Scope (1)Survey of the scope of standard use cases
Simultaneously protect and read protect the function f:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-3x0bjl

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-jkq7ru

Simultaneously clear both attributes:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-feo83c

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-24rqi8

Applications (1)Sample problems that can be solved with this function
Properties & Relations (5)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions
Protecting a symbol is equivalent to setting the Protected attribute:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-kr2p40

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-ieyx3j

Unprotecting a symbol is equivalent to clearing the Protected attribute:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-b0vhus

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-bkqf88

No more definitions can be made for a protected symbol:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-d3sxi1

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-br7hms

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-eogddo


Neither can definitions be cleared:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-qujjh

To modify definitions of a protected symbol, unprotect it first:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-fqvj86

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-nbosdx



https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-j9eg5p

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-cbm5gd
SetOptions can be used the change the default options of a protected function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-n31ugj

Change the options of D:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-ui11iw


https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-ik8912

A symbol that is locked and protected can no longer be changed:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-eswnz5

https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-c940n8



https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-dlq28s


https://wolfram.com/xid/0ldelug-c9kxig


Wolfram Research (1988), Protected, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Protected.html.
Text
Wolfram Research (1988), Protected, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Protected.html.
Wolfram Research (1988), Protected, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Protected.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 1988. "Protected." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Protected.html.
Wolfram Language. 1988. "Protected." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Protected.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (1988). Protected. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Protected.html
Wolfram Language. (1988). Protected. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Protected.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_protected, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Protected}", year="1988", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Protected.html}", note=[Accessed: 08-July-2025
]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_protected, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Protected}, year={1988}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Protected.html}, note=[Accessed: 08-July-2025
]}