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

What’s new is the convergence of generative language models, real-time personalization, and vehicle system control—once distinct domains—into a seamless, spoken interface. —IEEE Spectrum, 7 Aug. 2025

Ghajar also represents Meta in a case in which authors have accused the company of illicitly training its AI language model on their books. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025

The two language models, gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b, can run locally on consumer devices and be fine-tuned for specific purposes. —Reece Rogers, Wired News, 5 Aug. 2025

More recent work has made use of what are known as BERT language models, which are trained on large amounts of human- and chatbot-generated text. —Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 30 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for language model

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