The keyword used to specify that a data member is a class data member (i.e., shared by all objects of the class) is static in languages like C++ and Java.

In other words:

  • A normal data member → each object gets its own separate copy.
  • A static data member → only one shared copy exists for the entire class, regardless of how many objects are created.

So if your exam or textbook question is:

“What keyword is used to specify that a data member is a class data member?”

The expected one-word answer is:

static