What does the acronym GIF stand for?

The acronym GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format.

GIF is a bitmap image format introduced by the online service CompuServe in 1987. Its name describes its original purpose: providing a standardized way to exchange graphical images between different computers and systems. The format became popular because it was compact, broadly supported, and practical on the slow modem connections common at the time.

A GIF can store images using a palette of up to 256 colors and uses lossless Lempel–Ziv–Welch compression. It can also contain multiple images in one file, a capability later used for short animations. The 1989 GIF89a revision added features including frame delays and transparent background colors, helping animated GIFs become a familiar part of the web.

The acronym’s pronunciation is a separate issue from its meaning. Both hard-G and soft-G pronunciations are widely used, although creator Steve Wilhite favored the soft-G pronunciation. GIF is also sometimes used casually for short video clips, even though the original format stores indexed-color bitmap images rather than modern video.