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

That single fact explains why language models scaled so quickly while robots are still fighting with mugs, shirts, shelves, and stairs. —Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Deepfakes have been a constant presence in the AI age as large-language models have made generating depictions of actors, singers and other celebrities much more accessible to the public. —Corbin Bolies, Variety, 16 June 2026

Scammers have a large pool of material to train language models on how to talk, look and act like Leal. —Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026

Phison says its new memory extension technology can run a 26-billion-parameter language model on a PC with just 16 GB of RAM, potentially allowing more advanced smart software to operate locally without relying heavily on cloud infrastructure. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for language model

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