Define polymorphism in programming.

Polymorphism in programming is a core concept that allows different classes to be treated as instances of the same class through a common interface. This means that objects of various classes can be interacted with in a uniform way, even though they may implement their behaviors differently.

For instance, if there is a base class called "Animal" and derived classes like "Dog" and "Cat," polymorphism allows both "Dog" and "Cat" objects to be handled as "Animal" objects. In practice, this is commonly achieved through method overriding or interfaces in object-oriented programming. The main advantage of polymorphism is that it enhances flexibility and maintainability of code, allowing developers to write more generic and reusable code.

The other options do not accurately describe polymorphism. Storing multiple data types in an array pertains to data structures, inheriting from multiple parent classes relates to multiple inheritance, and converting data from one type to another is about type casting. Each of these concepts plays a role in programming, but they do not encapsulate the essence of polymorphism as effectively as the correct choice does.