Adaptive Web Design is a web development approach that creates websites tailored to different devices and screen sizes. It uses multiple fixed layouts that adapt to the user's device, ensuring an optimal viewing experience. This method allows for easy navigation and readability, regardless of whether the user is on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop. Unlike Responsive Web Design, which fluidly adjusts a single layout, adaptive design relies on predefined layouts for specific screen sizes. This can lead to faster loading times and improved performance, as the server can deliver the most suitable version of the site based on the device being used.