How do you prevent a method from being overridden?

In object-oriented programming, method overriding occurs when a derived class (sub-class) has a method with the same name and signature as a method in its parent class (base class). The derived class's method then "overrides" the parent class's method, providing its own implementation.

To prevent a method from being overridden, use the 'final' keyword in the method definition in the parent class. When a method is marked as 'final,' it cannot be overridden by any derived class. This ensures that the method's implementation remains unchanged in the hierarchy. Here is an example in Java: In the parent class: ```java class ParentClass { final void myMethod() { System.out.println("This method cannot be overridden."); } } ``` In the derived class: ```java class DerivedClass extends ParentClass { // This will result in a compilation error, because myMethod() is marked as final in ParentClass void myMethod() { System.out.println("Trying to override the method."); } } ``` By marking the 'myMethod()' as 'final' in ParentClass, you have effectively prevented it from being overridden in any derived class.