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Code & Deliveryabbreviation · /siː aɪ slaʃ siː diː/

CI/CD

In simple English

CI/CD is a core practice in modern software development that combines two related but distinct concepts. Continuous Integration (CI) refers to the practice of automatically testing and validating code changes as soon as they are committed to a shared repository, catching bugs early. Continuous Delivery (CD) extends this by automating the process of packaging and preparing code for release, though deployment to production may still require manual approval. Continuous Deployment takes it further by automatically deploying every validated change directly to production without human review. In real tech workplaces, CI/CD pipelines are essential infrastructure that enable teams to ship code faster and more reliably. You will hear engineers discuss CI/CD pipelines, CI/CD tools (like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI), and CI/CD best practices in daily standups, code reviews, and sprint planning. Organizations that implement strong CI/CD practices can deploy multiple times per day with confidence, reducing the time between writing code and getting it in front of users.

Understand what CI/CD means, how it works, and why it matters in software development.

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness5/5
Versatility4/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓We need to improve our CI/CD pipeline.
✓Let us set up CI/CD for this project.
✓This change passed our CI/CD checks.

Real examples

in a standup

"Our CI/CD pipeline caught a failing test before it reached production."

in a code review

"Make sure your code passes CI/CD checks before requesting approval."

in a team meeting

"We should implement CI/CD to reduce manual testing and speed up deployments."

Don't say this

Handle with care. CI/CD is not a verb—you do not CI/CD something. You implement CI/CD, set up CI/CD, or use CI/CD pipelines.

✕We CI/CD the new feature yesterday.
✓We deployed the new feature through our CI/CD pipeline yesterday.— CI/CD is not a verb. You deploy, implement, or use CI/CD, but you do not CI/CD something.
✕CI/CD is just about continuous integration.
✓CI/CD includes both continuous integration and continuous delivery or deployment.— CI/CD involves two interconnected processes; CI alone is incomplete without the delivery/deployment aspect.
✕Our CI/CD tool is broken.
✓Our CI/CD pipeline is failing or Our CI/CD tool has an issue.— Be more specific about whether the problem is with the tool itself or the pipeline execution.

Other forms

noun

CI/CD

"CI/CD is critical for modern software development."

noun

CI/CD pipeline

"Our CI/CD pipeline runs tests automatically on every commit."

noun

CI/CD tool

"We use Jenkins as our CI/CD tool."

Often used with

CI/CD pipelineThe automated workflow that tests and deploys code; the most common collocation.
CI/CD toolSoftware that implements CI/CD, such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI.
CI/CD best practicesStandard approaches for implementing CI/CD effectively.
implement CI/CDTo set up or establish CI/CD processes in a project or organization.
CI/CD automationThe automated testing and deployment processes that CI/CD enables.

Similar words

continuous integration and continuous deliveryThe full expanded form; sometimes used in formal documentation.
deployment automationA broader term that encompasses CI/CD but may refer to deployment processes alone.
automated testing and deploymentA descriptive phrase that explains what CI/CD does without using the acronym.

Opposites

manual deploymentwaterfall developmentmanual testing

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your manager asks about your deployment process. What do you say?

Complete the sentence

2. Before we can deploy this microservice, it must pass our _______ checks.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses CI/CD incorrectly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this in natural tech English using CI/CD: 'We test the code automatically and then we put it on the server without people doing it manually.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "ci/cd" in a standup this week?

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