Semantic Search
TechniquesSearch that finds results based on meaning and intent, not just keyword matching.
Full Explanation
Traditional search finds documents containing specific keywords. Semantic search uses embeddings to find documents with similar meaning, even if they use different words. Searching for 'how to fix a flat tire' would also surface documents about 'puncture repair' and 'changing a wheel'. AI-powered search (Perplexity, Bing Chat, Google AI Overview) uses semantic search to improve relevance.
Related Terms
Numerical vector representations of text that capture semantic meaning, allowing AI to find conceptually similar content.
A database optimized for storing and searching embedding vectors — the foundation of RAG and semantic search applications.
A technique that enhances LLM responses by retrieving relevant documents from an external knowledge base before generating an answer.