language model

noun

plural language models

: a mathematical model (see model entry 1 sense 3) that analyzes a corpus of text in order to accurately represent the relationships between words

We have tremendous freedom to put words in any order we like. The computer has to have some kind of handle, a language model. It has to figure how likely any particular word is to pop up at any time.

—Robert Mercer, quoted in Chicago Tribune

also : software that uses a language model to generate text (such as responses to queries or prompts)

For example, given the task of analyzing the sentiment of the sentence 'I missed the bus today,' researchers could continue with the prompt 'I felt so [blank]' and ask a language model to fill in the blank with an emotion.

—Kyle Wiggers

see also large language model

Examples of language model in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is a vision-language model (VLM) that takes visual and text input to generate the steps needed to complete a complex task. —Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025

Google Cloud, a crucial asset for storing and processing the massive data sets used to train large-language models, is outpacing its peers in terms of growth, according to MoffettNathanson. —Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025

Each is vying to show that its approach can turn language models into real engines of discovery. —Elie Dolgin, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Sep. 2025

But hallucination can become a curse when language models are applied in domains where the truth matters. —Byron Cook, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for language model

• caudal
• caudle
• dawdle
• twaddle
• waddle
• remodel