In the context of software development, the acronym CI stands for Continuous Integration. CI is a development practice where developers frequently integrate their code changes into a shared repository, ensuring that each integration is verified by automated builds and tests. This process promotes early detection of errors, improves software quality, and streamlines the development workflow. By adopting CI, teams can maintain a consistent coding standard and reduce the time to deliver enhancements or new features, ultimately fostering greater collaboration among developers.