What is the purpose of the 'break' statement in loops?

The purpose of the 'break' statement in loops is to exit the loop prematurely based on a condition. When a 'break' statement is encountered, the control flow immediately leaves the loop, and execution continues with the first statement that follows the loop. This is particularly useful when a certain condition is met within the loop, allowing for the termination of the loop's execution without needing to iterate through all the elements or conditions.

For example, in a search algorithm, if you find the item you are looking for, you can use a 'break' statement to end the loop instantly rather than continuing to check the remaining items. This saves time and system resources by preventing unnecessary iterations once the desired outcome is achieved.