An adaptive equalizer which has a decision feedback adaptive equalizer unit 41, a linear adaptive equalizer unit 42, comparing circuit 47 which compares integrated equalizing error value of the decision feedback adaptive equalizer 41 with integrated estimation error value of the linear adaptive equalizer unit 42, and selecting circuit 48. The selecting circuit 48 selects one of the equalizer units 41 and 42, which has the better performance based on the result of the comparison of comparing circuit 47.