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Synonyms

sci-fi

American  
[sahy-fahy] / ˈsaɪˌfaɪ /
Also scifi,

adjective

  1. of or relating to science fiction.

    a writer of sci-fi books.

noun

  1. science fiction.

sci-fi British  
/ ˈsaɪˌfaɪ /

noun

  1. short for science fiction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sci-fi

First recorded in 1950–55; by shortening

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His skill set has now made its way to the big screen with the box-office hit “Project Hail Mary,” an adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2021 sci-fi novel.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Its main task is economic development, plowing funds into real-estate projects pushed by the country's leadership, including sci-fi city Neom.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

In a totalitarian sci-fi world, a hammer thrown by a young athlete smashes a "Big Brother" figure declaiming to brainwashed citizens from a vast screen.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

One of them, XPrize & Singularity University founder and chair Peter H. Diamandis, just launched a $3.5 million fund to promote optimistic sci-fi films to counter the AI doomsday narrative.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Chief among them were classic videogames, sci-fi and fantasy novels, and movies of all genres.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.