What characterizes an infinite loop in C++?

An infinite loop in C++ is characterized by the fact that it never meets its terminating condition. This means that the loop's controlling expression will always evaluate to true, thereby allowing the loop to run indefinitely. In practical terms, this often happens when the loop's termination condition is either never modified during its execution, or the logic used to increment or change the condition fails, resulting in the loop not being able to conclude.

For example, consider a loop that is intended to run while a variable is less than a certain value. If the variable is never updated within the loop, the condition will always be satisfied, leading to an infinite loop.

By contrast, options that suggest fixed execution counts, reliance on user input for termination, or having a defined exit point do not apply to infinite loops. Such characteristics imply that there is some form of limit or control over the loop's execution, which contradicts the fundamental nature of an infinite loop.