@FunctionalInterface annotation is useful for compilation time checking of your code. You cannot have more than one method besides static, default and abstract methods that override methods in Object in your @FunctionalInterface or any other interface used as a functional interface.

But you can use lambdas without this annotation as well as you can override methods without @Override annotation.

From docs

a functional interface has exactly one abstract method. Since default methods have an implementation, they are not abstract. If an interface declares an abstract method overriding one of the public methods of java.lang.Object, that also does not count toward the interface's abstract method count since any implementation of the interface will have an implementation from java.lang.Object or elsewhere

This can be used in lambda expression:

public interface Foo {
  public void doSomething();
}

This cannot be used in lambda expression:

public interface Foo {
  public void doSomething();
  public void doSomethingElse();
}

But this will give compilation error:

@FunctionalInterface
public interface Foo {
  public void doSomething();
  public void doSomethingElse();
}

Invalid '@FunctionalInterface' annotation; Foo is not a functional interface

Answer from Sergii Bishyr on Stack Overflow
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Medium
medium.com › @cibofdevs › understanding-functional-interfaces-in-java-b809f4242f25
Understanding Functional Interfaces in Java | by Ahmad Wijaya | Medium
June 18, 2024 - Functional interfaces are a powerful feature in Java that facilitate functional programming by enabling lambda expressions, method references, and constructor references. They help write cleaner, more concise, and more readable code.
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DevGenius
blog.devgenius.io › what-is-functional-interfaces-in-java-features-benefits-and-best-practices-092a0d5b4d63
What is Functional Interfaces in Java: Features, Benefits, and Best Practices | by Techie's Spot | Dev Genius
January 22, 2024 - Functional interfaces are a significant addition to Java, introduced with Java 8. They provide a way to define a single abstract method…
Discussions

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Top answer
1 of 12
145

@FunctionalInterface annotation is useful for compilation time checking of your code. You cannot have more than one method besides static, default and abstract methods that override methods in Object in your @FunctionalInterface or any other interface used as a functional interface.

But you can use lambdas without this annotation as well as you can override methods without @Override annotation.

From docs

a functional interface has exactly one abstract method. Since default methods have an implementation, they are not abstract. If an interface declares an abstract method overriding one of the public methods of java.lang.Object, that also does not count toward the interface's abstract method count since any implementation of the interface will have an implementation from java.lang.Object or elsewhere

This can be used in lambda expression:

public interface Foo {
  public void doSomething();
}

This cannot be used in lambda expression:

public interface Foo {
  public void doSomething();
  public void doSomethingElse();
}

But this will give compilation error:

@FunctionalInterface
public interface Foo {
  public void doSomething();
  public void doSomethingElse();
}

Invalid '@FunctionalInterface' annotation; Foo is not a functional interface

2 of 12
29

The documentation makes indeed a difference between the purpose

An informative annotation type used to indicate that an interface type declaration is intended to be a functional interface as defined by the Java Language Specification.

and the use case

Note that instances of functional interfaces can be created with lambda expressions, method references, or constructor references.

whose wording does not preclude other use cases in general. Since the primary purpose is to indicate a functional interface, your actual question boils down to “Are there other use cases for functional interfaces other than lambda expressions and method/constructor references?”

Since functional interface is a Java language construct defined by the Java Language Specification, only that specification can answer that question:

JLS §9.8. Functional Interfaces:

…

In addition to the usual process of creating an interface instance by declaring and instantiating a class (§15.9), instances of functional interfaces can be created with method reference expressions and lambda expressions (§15.13, §15.27).

So the Java Language Specification doesn’t say otherwise, the only use case mentioned in that section is that of creating interface instances with method reference expressions and lambda expressions. (This includes constructor references as they are noted as one form of method reference expression in the specification).

So in one sentence, no, there is no other use case for it in Java 8.

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Hero Vired
herovired.com › learning-hub › blogs › functional-interface-in-java
Functional Interface in Java: Uses, Types, Examples
Functional programming is a programming style that treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions. It focuses on writing code declaratively and concisely, promoting immutability and side-effect-free operations. With its support for functional interfaces, Java brings some functional programming concepts to the table while retaining its object-oriented nature.
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CodeSignal
codesignal.com › learn › courses › mastering-functional-interfaces › lessons › introduction-to-functional-interfaces
Introduction to Functional Interfaces
Understanding and using functional interfaces is essential because they: Enhance Code Efficiency: Functional interfaces, especially with lambda expressions, allow for more compact and readable code. Support Functional Programming: They integrate functional programming concepts into Java, which ...
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › java › java-functional-interfaces
Java Functional Interfaces - GeeksforGeeks
September 1, 2026 - Predicate interface represents a boolean-valued function of one argument. It is commonly used for filtering operations in streams. There are also functional variants of the Predicate IntPredicate, DoublePredicate and LongPredicate. ... The Java predicate functional interface can also be implemented using Lambda expressions.
Find elsewhere
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Techwithmaddy
techwithmaddy.com › java-8-functional-interfaces
What is a functional interface in Java?
October 15, 2023 - In short, the main benefit of using functional interfaces is that they can be instantiated using lambda expressions rather than lengthy anonymous classes. You can either create your functional interface with the annotation @FunctionalInterface ...
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Scaler
scaler.com › home › topics › functional interfaces in java
Functional Interfaces in Java - Scaler Topics
April 20, 2024 - Functional Interfaces introduced in Java 8 allow us to use a lambda expression to initiate the interface's method and avoid using lengthy codes for the anonymous class implementation. Various built-in interfaces were declared with @FunctionalInterface annotation and made functional from Java ...
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Functional Interface in Java 8 and its advantages - YouTube
Please check out my blog(http://learnsimple.in) for more technical videos.What is functional Interface in Java 8 and its advantages ...
Published: April 27, 2019
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Coderanch
coderanch.com › t › 709273 › java › Advantage-functional-interface-Java
Advantage of functional interface in Java? (Features new in Java 8 forum at Coderanch)
May 1, 2019 - Adding discussion to our λs forum. Isn't the ability to write a λ enough of an advantage for a functional interface? Remember that some functional interfaces, e.g. this one, don't have the @FunctionalInterface annotation. If you look up that link, you will see you can use functional interfaces for method references, etc., too.
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Reflectoring
reflectoring.io › one-stop-guide-to-java-functional-interfaces
One Stop Guide to Java Functional Interfaces
June 11, 2024 - This annotation serves as a way to document our intention for the interface and provides a layer of protection against accidental changes. By using @FunctionalInterface, we indicate that the interface should maintain its single-method structure. If we add more abstract methods, the compiler will generate an error, ensuring the functional interface’s integrity. Functional interfaces are central to Java’s support for functional programming.
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Quora
quora.com › Why-do-we-need-Functional-interface-in-Java
Why do we need Functional interface in Java? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): Functional Interfaces are mainly used in Lambda expressions, Method reference and constructor references. In functional programming, code can be treated as data. For this purpose Lambda expressions are introduced. They can be used to pass a block of code to another method or obj...
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Blogger
javarevisited.blogspot.com › 2018 › 01 › what-is-functional-interface-in-java-8.html
What is a Functional interface in Java 8? @FunctionalInterface Annotation Examples Tutorial
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Developer.com
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Functional Interfaces in Java
November 30, 2022 - Lambda expression is an unnamed or anonymous method that does not execute on its own, rather, it is used to implement functional interface’s defined methods. It is defined as: ... The arrow operator (->) used is known as the lambda operator. For example, if we have a method as follows: ... As we can see, the method in the lambda function does not have any parameters, making the operator’s left side empty. While the right side defines the action, in this case, it will return the value of the Golden Ratio: 1.61803. Before Java8, implementing interfaces or creating inner class objects was crucial, but with the introduction of Java8, all we got to do was assign lambda expressions to functional interfaces.
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freeCodeCamp
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DigitalOcean
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Java 8 Functional Interfaces | DigitalOcean
Technical tutorials, Q&A, events — This is an inclusive place where developers can find or lend support and discover new ways to contribute to the community.
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DEV Community
dev.to › phouchens › exploring-functional-programming-in-java-functional-interfaces-1phe
Exploring Functional Programming in Java - Functional Interface - DEV Community
May 18, 2023 - I recommend using the annotation because it helps document the intent of the interface. In my mind, the real advantage of a functional interface is that it provides a target type for lambda expressions and method references.
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Geekster
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July 2, 2024 - Functional Interface in Java enables users to implement functional programming in Java. In functional programming, the function is an independent entity. Therefore, Java is an object-oriented programming language i.e everything in java rotates ...
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Medium
medium.com › @nagarjun_nagesh › functional-interfaces-in-java-fe5ebf5bafed
Functional Interfaces in Java. In the previous article, we introduced… | by Nagarjun (Arjun) Nagesh | Medium
February 23, 2024 - Functional interfaces are a fundamental concept in Java that enables the use of lambda expressions and method references. They provide a way to represent anonymous functions and leverage the benefits of functional programming in Java.