Defined term
Semantic search
Search by meaning, not by keyword overlap.
Semantic search retrieves results that match the meaning of a query, not just exact terms. It uses embeddings (vector similarity) and often combines with keyword (BM25) for hybrid retrieval. Hybrid retrieval wins most production benchmarks because it captures both lexical precision and semantic recall.
When it matters
When users describe what they want in natural language rather than typing exact keywords. Replaces or augments keyword search where intent matters more than exact terms.
Real example
An internal knowledge portal where 'how do we handle returns for damaged goods in international orders' returns the same top-3 results as 'damaged international return policy' — keyword search misses the second; semantic search hits both.
KPIs to watch
Semantic search precision@5 (>0.8 target), query reformulation rate (target: -40% vs keyword), zero-result rate (<5%).
Related terms
Embeddings
Numerical vectors that represent the meaning of a text, image, or other piece of content.
Vector store
A database optimized for similarity search over embeddings.
Hybrid search
Combination of keyword (BM25) and vector (embedding) retrieval, often re-ranked.
Agentic AI
AI systems that can plan, take multi-step actions, and use tools to complete tasks autonomously.
See it in action
We use this every week
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