Definition
Semantic search finds results based on meaning and context rather than exact keyword matches.
How It Works: 1. Convert query to embedding (vector) 2. Compare to document embeddings 3. Return semantically similar results 4. Rank by relevance
Vs Keyword Search: - Keyword: "car" won't match "automobile" - Semantic: Understands synonyms, concepts - Keyword: Exact matching - Semantic: Meaning matching
Enabling Technologies: - Embedding models - Vector databases - Approximate nearest neighbor - Hybrid search (semantic + keyword)
Applications: - Enterprise search - E-commerce product search - Document retrieval for RAG - Customer support
Examples
Searching "how to fix slow computer" and finding "PC performance optimization".
Related Terms
A technique combining information retrieval with text generation to improve accuracy.
Numerical representations of data (text, images) that capture semantic meaning.
Database optimized for storing and searching high-dimensional vector embeddings.
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