Glossary · May 2026
What is Semantic Search?
Semantic search is information retrieval that uses meaning rather than literal string matching — typically powered by vector embeddings or language models that understand concepts.
Long definition
Where lexical search matches the exact words you typed, semantic search retrieves content based on meaning. The query 'how do I get notified when a website changes' returns articles about web change detection even if those exact words don't appear. The underlying technology is usually neural embeddings — high-dimensional vectors that encode meaning — or LLM-based ranking.
Examples
- Searching 'remote-friendly engineering teams' and getting results about distributed engineering culture, even from pages that don't use those exact words.
- Topic monitoring that catches 'FDA greenlights drug' for a user who described 'FDA approval'.
How Ayewatch handles it
Semantic understanding is the core of AyeWatch's matching engine. Topics are described in plain English; the AI evaluates new content for intent-match, not keyword-match.
Related terms
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