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A switch statement, often referred to as a switch-case statement or switch-expression, is a control flow statement that allows for a variable to be tested for equality against a list of values. When a match is found, the block of code associated with that value is executed. If no match is found, an optional default block of code can be executed. This construct provides a more readable and sometimes more efficient alternative to a series of nested if-else if statements when dealing with multiple discrete possibilities.

The syntax typically involves the keyword `switch` followed by an expression or variable in parentheses. Inside curly braces, multiple `case` labels are defined, each followed by a value and a colon. The code to be executed for that specific case follows the colon. The `break` keyword is usually employed after each case's code block to exit the switch statement; otherwise, execution would "fall through" to the next case, which is often unintended. A `default` label can be included to handle any values that do not match any of the specified cases. Languages like C, C++, Java, and JavaScript support switch statements. Some modern languages also offer enhanced switch expressions with pattern matching capabilities.