Glossary

Semantic Retrieval

Definition

A method of finding information based on meaning rather than exact keyword match, typically using vector embeddings to compare conceptual similarity between a query and a body of content.

Why it matters

Most institutional knowledge is unreachable by keyword search because the writer didn't use the words the searcher would have used. Semantic retrieval closes that gap.

Examples

  • Searching 'how did we handle the last big outage' and surfacing the relevant postmortem even though it was titled 'August Incident Review.'
  • Finding a relevant playbook based on the situation described, not the playbook name.

Best practices

  • Combine semantic and lexical search.
  • Index entities, not just text.
  • Treat retrieval quality as a measurable system property.

Related concepts

FAQ

Does semantic search replace keyword search?

No — the best systems combine both.