In C#, what does the term 'static' indicate about a variable?

The term 'static' in C# indicates that a variable belongs to the class type itself rather than to any specific instance of the class. This means that a static variable is shared among all instances of the class, meaning there is only one copy of that variable, regardless of how many objects of the class are created.

When a variable is declared as static, it is often used for data that is common to all instances rather than instance-specific data. For example, if you want to count how many objects of a class have been created, you would typically use a static variable. This shared nature makes static variables useful for maintaining state or configuration that should be consistent across all instances of the class.

In contrast, instance variables belong to individual objects, meaning each object has its own copy. Access levels and temporary nature do not apply to the 'static' keyword in the way the other choices suggest. Thus, the correct understanding of 'static' highlights its unique characteristic of being associated with the class itself rather than with any particular instance.