Semantic Search

Executive Definition: Semantic Search — A search technique that matches queries based on contextual meaning and intent rather than exact keyword overlap.

Semantic search uses embedding models to understand the intent behind a query. By converting text into high-dimensional vectors, it retrieves results that are conceptually related, delivering highly relevant results even if they share no exact words with the search query.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is semantic search different from keyword search?

Keyword search relies on exact string matching. Semantic search understands meaning, allowing it to match concepts like ‘car’ and ‘automobile’ seamlessly.

What technology powers semantic search?

Embedding models convert text into vector representations, and vector databases index and query these vectors to find the nearest semantic matches.

Can I add semantic search to an existing application?

Yes. You can implement vector databases alongside existing keyword search engines to create a hybrid search approach, which often yields the best results.