Final answer:
The correct answer is (a) A base class is a parent class or super class, which aligns with object-oriented programming inheritance principles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct choice is (a) A base class is a parent class or super class. In object-oriented programming, the terms base class, parent class, and super class all refer to a class that is being extended or inherited from. A base class provides the foundational attributes and methods that other classes, known as derived or child classes, can inherit. The child class or derived class is a specialized version of the base class, adding new attributes or methods or modifying existing ones.
Understanding the relationship between parent and child classes is fundamental in object-oriented design. This allows for the creation of more complex and specialized objects while still maintaining a tidy and intuitive structure within the codebase.