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

Unlike large language models such as Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini, Chopra’s bot is what’s called a small language model. —Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 28 Nov. 2025

Vision-language models can understand instructions but often struggle to link them with the correct actions, especially when object shapes or contexts vary. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025

At the time, almost no one was doing this with language models. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025

That could be applicable to e-tail giant Amazon, which is actively engaged in legal action against Perplexity over its agentic shopping experience, Comet, and has actively worked to prevent third party technology companies’ large-language models (LLMs) from accessing its product catalogue. —Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 24 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for language model

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