I see. You didn't declare a function, it's just a python script. So you don't need a return in that situation, the script just ends when there are no more lines.
By the way: you certainly don't want to return or quit BEFORE you print(nice). But the fix here is simply to delete "return coun". Then your script will run. --- Joseph S. -----Original Message----- From: Shivlal Sharma <sshivlal9...@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, September 7, 2020 3:09 AM To: python-list@python.org Subject: What this error want to say? Can't we use return without function? N = int(input("enter a positive integer:")) coun = 1 while (N > 0): coun = coun * N N = N - 1 return coun nice = ntime(N) print(nice) error: return outside of the function -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list