A content delivery network (CDN) is a system of strategically positioned servers that collaboratively distribute web content to users more efficiently. By mirroring website content across various servers, CDNs minimize the distance between the user's browser and the website's server, resulting in quicker load times and an enhanced user experience. This proves especially beneficial for high-traffic websites, as CDNs disperse the traffic load among several servers, preventing overloads and optimizing website performance.