protected

An access modifier that lets a member be used inside its own class and in classes that inherit from it.

What is protected in C#?

protected — An access modifier that lets a member be used inside its own class and in classes that inherit from it, but not from anywhere else.

class Account
{
    protected decimal balance = 20m;
}

class SavingsAccount : Account
{
    public void AddInterest()
    {
        balance += balance * 0.02m;   // allowed: SavingsAccount inherits from Account
    }
}

Level: Journeyman · More C# terms at this level

Updated October 19, 2026