{
  "definition": "Retrieval in which each query, indexed item, passage, document, or chunk is represented by one vector for similarity comparison.",
  "derivedRelations": [
    {
      "target": "hybrid-retrieval",
      "type": "related"
    }
  ],
  "id": "single-vector-retrieval",
  "kind": "Representation",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/",
  "links": [
    {
      "label": "ColBERTv2: Effective and Efficient Retrieval via Lightweight Late Interaction",
      "type": "definingReference",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.01488"
    }
  ],
  "modifiedAt": "2026-09-12T22:23:29Z",
  "prefLabel": "Single-Vector Retrieval",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "Searchplex",
    "url": "https://searchplex.net/"
  },
  "relations": [
    {
      "note": "Dense retrieval describes retrieval using dense representations; single-vector retrieval describes the representation cardinality used for each retrievable item.",
      "target": "dense-retrieval",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Dual encoders commonly produce single-vector representations, but the architecture and the representation format are distinct concepts.",
      "target": "dual-encoder",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Single-vector retrieval represents each item with one vector; multi-vector retrieval represents a query, item, or both with multiple vectors.",
      "target": "multi-vector-retrieval",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Semantic search names a meaning-oriented retrieval goal or product capability; single-vector retrieval names one possible representation format.",
      "target": "semantic-search",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Vector search names a vector-similarity mechanism; single-vector retrieval names a retrieval representation format.",
      "target": "vector-search",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "target": "dense-retrieval",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "dual-encoder",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "multi-vector-retrieval",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "vector-search",
      "type": "related"
    }
  ],
  "representations": {
    "html": "https://id.searchplex.net/single-vector-retrieval/",
    "json": "https://id.searchplex.net/single-vector-retrieval.json",
    "jsonld": "https://id.searchplex.net/single-vector-retrieval.jsonld"
  },
  "scheme": "https://id.searchplex.net/scheme/",
  "scopeNote": "Single-vector retrieval is often the default format in dense retrieval and vector-search systems, but it is not identical to dense retrieval, vector search, semantic search, or the dual-encoder architecture that commonly produces such vectors.",
  "status": "published",
  "terms": [
    {
      "community": "academic",
      "label": "Single-Vector Dense Retrieval",
      "usage": "nearSynonym"
    }
  ],
  "uri": "https://id.searchplex.net/single-vector-retrieval/"
}