juniorRust
What is borrowing in Rust?
Updated May 24, 2026
Short answer
Borrowing allows temporary access to data without taking ownership.
Deep explanation
Rust allows references to data via borrowing rules: either multiple immutable references or one mutable reference at a time, preventing data races.
Real-world example
Passing large data structures to functions without copying.
Common mistakes
- Trying to mutate data through immutable references.
Follow-up questions
- What is a mutable borrow?
- Why does Rust restrict simultaneous mutable and immutable borrows?