What is an argument in the context of a subprogram?

In the context of a subprogram, an argument refers to a specific value that is passed to the subprogram when it is called. This value corresponds to the parameter defined in the subprogram. When the subprogram executes, it uses the argument to perform its operations, allowing for dynamic and flexible functionality since different arguments can lead to different behaviors or outputs from the same subprogram.

For example, consider a function that calculates the area of a rectangle. The function might accept two parameters, length and width. When you call this function, you pass actual numbers (like 5 and 10) as arguments. These arguments (5 and 10) are the concrete values that the parameters will hold during the execution of the function.

In contrast, the first choice refers to the parameters themselves, not the actual values that are passed to them. The second choice describes a subprogram in general rather than the specific aspect of arguments. The last option mentions defined variables in the main program, which is unrelated to how arguments function within subprograms.