GIF

What Does GIF Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

GIF means "Graphics Interchange Format" (image type).

More Detail...

The acronym GIF stands for "Graphics Interchange Format." A GIF is a short, animated picture, without sound. GIFs are typically used as memes, to portray an emotion or a reaction, such as in this example, which is used to show shock:

In the early days, most GIFs were moving icons (e.g., flashing "Buy Now!" buttons or dancing rabbits), but these quickly went out of fashion with web designers and it looked like the GIF was going to be a short-lived format. However, with the rise of social media, GIFs made a comeback, as they are the perfect format for animated memes. By 2012, the GIF image format had become so popular that "GIF" was named as the Oxford American Dictionary's word of the year. GIF can be pronounced both as "Jif" (as in the peanut butter (US) or household cleaner (UK)) and "Gif" (as in the word "gift"). "Jif" is preferred by Steve Wilhite of CompuServe, the inventor of the GIF format. However, through common usage, "Gif" now dominates as the accepted pronunciation. GIFs include data compression, but are limited to 256 colors. (Making them unsuitable for photographs.)

Video Summarizing GIF

Here's a short video explaining how to use what GIF stands for:

Image for GIF

When I write GIF, I mean this:

"Graphics Interchange Format"

Summary of Key Points

"Graphics Interchange Format" is, by far, the most common meaning for GIF when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)