CGI

American  

[see-jee-ahy] / ˈsiˈdʒiˈaɪ /

Or cgi

abbreviation

Computers.

1. computer-generated images; computer-generated imagery: digitally created graphics used in movies and other visual media, often in the form of 3D animation: null CG

   The latest movie in the franchise uses more practical effects and less CGI than its predecessors.

2. Common Gateway Interface: a protocol for instructing a server to execute a user-generated script on an interactive website, such as when a user enters a query using an online form and receives information retrieved from a database (often used attributively).

   CGI enhances the utility of a site by enabling user interaction.

   A CGI script allows users of the site to search for information on a particular local physician.

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CGI British  

abbreviation

1. computer-generated image or imagery

2. common gateway interface

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Etymology

Origin of CGI

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

“The lawn was mostly dirt. In fact, it had been colored green with CGI in the online real estate listing.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The movie, which is still in early development, will feature the fanged monsters in a "live-action and CGI hybrid", Pop Mart said.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Still, the characters in the Otherworld, created in CGI, retain qualities of hand-drawn animation, making one hyperaware of the relationship between the figure’s movement and the environment.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

With access to today’s CGI, Kubrick could have achieved the same artistic vision more efficiently and precisely.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

Unix sysadmins, who are almost always incorrigible hackers, generally consider it one of the languages of choice, and it is by far the most widely used tool for making `live' web pages via CGI.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.