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Continuous Integration (CI) is fundamentally about the practice of merging all developers' working copies into a shared mainline or trunk of the codebase regularly, often several times a day. This practice allows teams to detect integration issues early, as changes made by different developers are integrated into the mainline frequently. It fosters collaboration, ensures that the team is working with the latest code, and reduces the chances of integration conflicts later in the development process.

This practice is also closely tied to automation processes such as building and testing, typically leading to more efficient workflows. While automated tests and deployment practices are crucial elements of a DevOps pipeline, they are not definitions of Continuous Integration itself, but rather complementary practices that enhance CI. Integrating software dependencies manually does not align with the principles of CI as it contradicts the idea of frequent, automated integration to streamline the development process and maintain a stable mainline.