What is a major benefit of using CSS for styling web pages rather than inline styles?

The major benefit of using CSS for styling web pages rather than inline styles is that CSS allows for a cleaner separation of structure and presentation. This separation improves the maintenance and readability of web pages. By keeping the HTML structure separate from the styling, it’s easier to manage changes to the visual design without modifying the HTML markup itself.

This architecture follows best practices in web development, as it enables developers to apply consistent styles across multiple elements and pages through external stylesheets. Additionally, changes can be made in one place (the CSS file), which can instantly affect all elements that use those styles throughout the entire website. This not only fosters a more organized codebase but also enhances collaboration among developers.

In contrast, using inline styles leads to a cluttered HTML document and can make styling adjustments cumbersome and error-prone since each element would need to be modified individually. Thus, the separation brought by CSS promotes greater efficiency and scalability in web design and development.