How does CSS specificity work?

CSS specificity is a crucial concept that dictates how different CSS rules are applied to elements on a webpage based on the specificity of their selectors. Each selector has a specificity level calculated based on the types of selectors it uses. These levels help the browser determine which styles should take precedence when multiple rules are applied to the same element.

For example, an ID selector (#example) has a higher specificity than a class selector (.example), and a class selector has a higher specificity than a type selector (div). This means that if an element has styles defined by multiple selectors, the styles from the selector with the highest specificity will be the ones that are applied.

Understanding how specificity works is essential for managing styles effectively, as it allows developers to predict which styles will be applied in various scenarios, leading to more controlled and predictable design outcomes.