Quick definition · 2 min AI term

Embedding

An embedding turns text (or images) into a list of numbers that captures meaning, so a computer can compare ideas.

Think of it like

Like giving every sentence GPS coordinates of meaning. Similar ideas land close together; unrelated ones land far apart.

Example

“dog” and “puppy” get embeddings that sit near each other; “dog” and “tax form” sit far apart.

Why it matters

Embeddings are how AI search, recommendations, and “chat with your documents” actually work under the hood.

Where you’ll see it
OpenAI APIPineconeLangChain KB Cafe · Embedding Explorer
Go deeper What are Embeddings? (full explainer) → The full explainer. This quick definition is just the on-ramp. Next step Play with the Embedding Explorer → See how meaning becomes numbers. ← All terms in the dictionary