Keyword search
Also: lexical search, full-text search
Searching for the exact words you typed.
The fuller definition
Keyword search retrieves material using words, phrases, identifiers, and matching or ranking rules based on the text.
- Query
Exact identifier A01
- Match
Text contains A01
- Results
Inspect matching records
A simplified relationship, not a screenshot or a complete design.
A concrete example
Search for a contract number, exact quoted phrase, or person's name.
The distinction that matters
Exact matching can miss paraphrases; different search engines handle stemming and phrases differently.
Related terms
Semantic search
Searching by meaning rather than by exact words, so 'delay' can find 'postponed'.
Documents & retrievalHybrid search
Using keyword search and meaning search together.
Documents & retrievalRetrieval
Searching a larger set of records for useful parts. Finding a passage does not prove it answers the question.
Where it is taught
How document-grounded AI answers workSource and further reading
Sentence Transformers · Semantic searchThe definition and example are written for this library. The link gives background, official documentation or legal authority as labelled. Legal scope depends on the jurisdiction and current text; product features depend on release and settings.