# Python Check if Key Exists in Dictionary with in Operator

> Check whether a Python dictionary contains a specific key using the in and not in operators, with examples for positive and negative key existence checks

**URL:** https://sentry.io/answers/check-if-a-dictionary-contains-a-key-in-python/

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## The Problem

How can I check whether a Python dictionary contains a given key?

## The Solution

You can do this using Python's `in` operator. When used with a dictionary, this will check its keys. For example:

```python
prices = { "Apples": 1, "Oranges": 2 }

if "Oranges" in prices:
    print('prices dictionary contains key "Oranges"')

if "Pineapples" not in prices:
    print('prices dictionary does not contain key "Pineapples"')
```

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*Source: [sentry.io/answers/check-if-a-dictionary-contains-a-key-in-python/](https://sentry.io/answers/check-if-a-dictionary-contains-a-key-in-python/)*