Data & retrieval
Embedding
A numerical vector representing the meaning or features of an item.
Definition
An embedding maps text, images, users or other objects into a vector space where related items tend to sit closer together.
Why it matters
Embeddings power enterprise search and classification while potentially encoding sensitive attributes, bias and source-data errors.
Related concepts
- Vector database
A store designed to retrieve items using similarity between embeddings.
- Semantic search
Search based on meaning rather than only matching exact words.
- Retrieval-augmented generation
Generating answers using information retrieved at request time.