Knowledge Maxxing← Back to topic library
AI MaxxingBeginner75 sec
Semantic search
Semantic search finds documents based on meaning rather than exact wording, by comparing the underlying concepts of a query and each document.
Prerequisite: Keyword search
What matters
Because it compares meaning rather than literal words, semantic search can surface relevant results even when the query and document use completely different vocabulary.
Example
A semantic search for 'car' can also return a document about 'automobiles', since both are represented as similar in meaning even though the words differ.
Common misconception
Semantic search does not always outperform keyword search; for exact codes, names, or IDs, literal keyword matching is often more reliable.
Recall question
What allows semantic search to match a query to a document that uses entirely different words?
Keywords and related concepts
semantic searchmeaning-based searchembeddingskeyword search