Array.prototype.slice() - JavaScript | MDN

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Array.prototype.slice()

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since July 2015.

The slice() method of Array instances returns a shallow copy of a portion of an array into a new array object selected from start to end (end not included) where start and end represent the index of items in that array. The original array will not be modified.

Try it

const animals = ["ant", "bison", "camel", "duck", "elephant"];

console.log(animals.slice(2));
// Expected output: Array ["camel", "duck", "elephant"]

console.log(animals.slice(2, 4));
// Expected output: Array ["camel", "duck"]

console.log(animals.slice(1, 5));
// Expected output: Array ["bison", "camel", "duck", "elephant"]

console.log(animals.slice(-2));
// Expected output: Array ["duck", "elephant"]

console.log(animals.slice(2, -1));
// Expected output: Array ["camel", "duck"]

console.log(animals.slice());
// Expected output: Array ["ant", "bison", "camel", "duck", "elephant"]

Syntax

js
slice()
slice(start)
slice(start, end)

Parameters

start Optional

Zero-based index at which to start extraction, converted to an integer.

Negative index counts back from the end of the array — if -array.length <= start < 0, start + array.length is used.
If start < -array.length or start is omitted, 0 is used.
If start >= array.length, an empty array is returned.

end Optional

Zero-based index at which to end extraction, converted to an integer. slice() extracts up to but not including end.

Negative index counts back from the end of the array — if -array.length <= end < 0, end + array.length is used.
If end < -array.length, 0 is used.
If end >= array.length or end is omitted or undefined, array.length is used, causing all elements until the end to be extracted.
If end implies a position before or at the position that start implies, an empty array is returned.

Return value

A new array containing the extracted elements.

Description

The slice() method is a copying method. It does not alter this but instead returns a shallow copy that contains some of the same elements as the ones from the original array.

The slice() method preserves empty slots. If the sliced portion is sparse, the returned array is sparse as well.

The slice() method is generic. It only expects the this value to have a length property and integer-keyed properties.

Examples

Return a portion of an existing array

js
const fruits = ["Banana", "Orange", "Lemon", "Apple", "Mango"];
const citrus = fruits.slice(1, 3);

// fruits contains ['Banana', 'Orange', 'Lemon', 'Apple', 'Mango']
// citrus contains ['Orange','Lemon']

In this example, slice(1, 3) extracts elements from index 1 up to, but not including, index 3, resulting in a new array ['Orange', 'Lemon'].

Omitting the end parameter

js
const fruits = ["Apple", "Banana", "Orange", "Mango", "Pineapple"];

const tropical = fruits.slice(2);
console.log(tropical); // ['Orange', 'Mango', 'Pineapple']

In this example, slice(2) extracts elements from index 2 to the end of the array.

Using negative indices

js
const fruits = ["Apple", "Banana", "Orange", "Mango", "Pineapple"];

const lastTwo = fruits.slice(-2);
console.log(lastTwo); // ['Mango', 'Pineapple']

In this example, slice(-2) extracts the last two elements of the array. When using a negative index with the slice method, negative indices are counted from the end of the array, starting at -1 for the last element, -2 for the second-to-last element, and so on. The negative index -2 itself is included because it is the starting point of the extraction.

| | | | | | | S | L | I | C | E | | | | | | | -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 <--- read from reverse

Using a positive start index and a negative end index

js
const fruits = ["Apple", "Banana", "Orange", "Mango", "Pineapple"];

// Using positive start index and negative end index
const sliceExample = fruits.slice(1, -1);
console.log(sliceExample); // ['Banana', 'Orange', 'Mango']

In this example, slice(1, -1) starts extracting from index 1 and goes up to, but does not include, the element at index -1 (which is the last element). This results in a new array with ['Banana', 'Orange', 'Mango']. The slice method always excludes the element at the final index specified, regardless of whether it is positive or negative.

read from start ---> 0 1 2 3 4 | | | | | | | S | L | I | C | E | | | | | | | -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 <--- read from reverse

Using slice with arrays of objects

In the following example, slice creates a new array, newCar, from myCar. Both include a reference to the object myHonda. When the color of myHonda is changed to purple, both arrays reflect the change.

js
// Using slice, create newCar from myCar.
const myHonda = {
  color: "red",
  wheels: 4,
  engine: { cylinders: 4, size: 2.2 },
};
const myCar = [myHonda, 2, "cherry condition", "purchased 1997"];
const newCar = myCar.slice(0, 2);

console.log("myCar =", myCar);
console.log("newCar =", newCar);
console.log("myCar[0].color =", myCar[0].color);
console.log("newCar[0].color =", newCar[0].color);

// Change the color of myHonda.
myHonda.color = "purple";
console.log("The new color of my Honda is", myHonda.color);

console.log("myCar[0].color =", myCar[0].color);
console.log("newCar[0].color =", newCar[0].color);

This script writes:

myCar = [ { color: 'red', wheels: 4, engine: { cylinders: 4, size: 2.2 } }, 2, 'cherry condition', 'purchased 1997' ] newCar = [ { color: 'red', wheels: 4, engine: { cylinders: 4, size: 2.2 } }, 2 ] myCar[0].color = red newCar[0].color = red The new color of my Honda is purple myCar[0].color = purple newCar[0].color = purple

Calling slice() on non-array objects

The slice() method reads the length property of this. It then reads the integer-keyed properties from start to end and defines them on a newly created array.

js
const arrayLike = {
  length: 3,
  0: 2,
  1: 3,
  2: 4,
  3: 33, // ignored by slice() since length is 3
};
console.log(Array.prototype.slice.call(arrayLike, 1, 3));
// [ 3, 4 ]

Using slice() to convert array-like objects to arrays

The slice() method is often used with bind() and call() to create a utility method that converts an array-like object into an array.

js
// slice() is called with `this` passed as the first argument
const slice = Function.prototype.call.bind(Array.prototype.slice);

function list() {
  return slice(arguments);
}

const listResult = list(1, 2, 3); // [1, 2, 3]

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This page was last modified on Jul 20, 2025 by MDN contributors.

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Standard built-in objects
Array
Constructor
1. Array()
Static methods
Static properties
1. [Symbol.species]
Instance methods
Instance properties
1. length
2. [Symbol.unscopables]
Inheritance
Object/Function
Static methods
Static properties
Instance methods
Instance properties
1. __proto__
2. constructor