Remove Duplicates from List in Python

Remove duplicate elements from a list while preserving order.

BeginnerList ProgramsExample 5 of 25
remove-duplicates-from-list.py
1# Program to remove duplicates from a list while preserving order
2
3items = input("Enter list elements separated by space: ").split()
4
5seen = set()
6result = []
7for x in items:
8 if x not in seen:
9 seen.add(x)
10 result.append(x)
11
12print("List without duplicates:", result)

Output

Enter list elements separated by space: 1 2 2 3 1
List without duplicates: ['1', '2', '3']

What's going on

We track seen elements in a set and only append new items to the result list to keep the first occurrence.

After this program

If the idea is still fuzzy, read Day 5: Lists and List Methods in the Python course. For a short check, try the Python quiz (300 questions). Stay with all 25 list programs, or see every topic on Python exercises.