noun

UI

yoo-EYE

UI (noun) means the part of a piece of software that a person actually sees and operates — the screens, buttons, menus, forms and text through which they give instructions and read results. Example: “The new UI puts the search box at the top of every page.”

noun

technical The part of a piece of software that a person actually sees and operates — the screens, buttons, menus, forms and text through which they give instructions and read results.

"The new UI puts the search box at the top of every page."

"I like the app, but the UI is cluttered on a small phone."

technical The craft of designing those screens and controls, including layout, spacing, colour and typography.

"She does UI for a games studio and spends most of her time on menus and icons."

How to Use UI

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe buttons and screens you tap, click and read.

When to use it

Everyday in software work; write user interface in full for a general readership.

Memory tip

An interface does not have to be visual — a voice assistant has one too — but UI in ordinary use almost always means something on a screen.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

UX → front end API →

Common pairings

UI design clean UI UI element UI kit UI/UX

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “UI” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The new _____ puts the search box at the top of every page.

Etymology

An initialism of user interface.

Origin: English

Synonyms

View more →

user interface interface front end screen design interface design UI design visual design

Related Words

port useR interface front end API back end

Rhymes for UI

oui Lui hui tui mui Yui Rui Sui Cui Gui Kui Maui

See all rhymes for UI →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between UI and UX?

UI is the visible surface: what is on the screen and how it is arranged. UX is the whole experience of using the thing, including whether it actually helped. UI is one of the ingredients that produces the UX.

Why do job adverts say UI/UX?

Many smaller teams expect one person to both research how people use the product and design the screens, so the two labels are combined. In larger organisations they are often separate roles.

Is UI the same as the front end?

They overlap but are not identical. UI describes the design of what the user sees; front end describes the code that builds and runs it in the browser.

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port useR interface front end API back end