What is the significance of using a generator in the range function in Python and why does it return one?

In Python, the range function returns a generator (in Python 3 — a range object that behaves like a lazy iterator), not a list immediately. This helps save memory, especially with large ranges, as numbers are generated one by one during iteration rather than stored all at once.

Using a generator in range means that values are created "on the fly" as needed, which improves performance and reduces memory load.

If a list is needed, you can explicitly convert it:

numbers = list(range(1, 1000000))

But usually, it is sufficient to iterate directly over range.