Searchplex ID Retrieval terminology registry

GeneralConcept

Semantic Search

Canonical ID https://id.searchplex.net/semantic-search/

A broad term for search intended to retrieve according to meaning or semantic relatedness rather than relying only on literal lexical overlap.

Scope

Semantic search does not denote one retrieval algorithm or representation. Dense retrieval, learned sparse retrieval, entity-based methods, query expansion, and hybrid retrieval may all contribute to systems described as semantic search.

Related

Not equivalent to

  • Semantic Search is not Dense Retrieval. Semantic search may use dense retrieval, but it is a broader product or intent concept rather than a specific representation family.
  • Semantic Search is not Vector Search. Semantic search describes meaning-oriented retrieval; vector search describes a mechanism based on vector similarity.

ID