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Showing results for sci-fi. Search instead for sci-fis.
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.

Monk-Payton said in the case of “Severance,” what began as a sharply observed workplace sci-fi story expanded into denser mythology in its second season.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The upbeat vibe is markedly different from the apocalyptic, at times murderous, sci-fi of today.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 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

I like adult stories, especially sci-fi and horror.

From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle

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.