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
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
Kyle Wiggers Examples of language model in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Meta, under Zuckerberg, has also ventured into the AI world with its Llama language model.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026
So, when there’s conversation around how these language models are being trained, for instance, people are hesitant to talk about the reality of what’s going on.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
When there’s conversation around how these language models are being trained, for instance….
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
And Andrej Karpathy, one of the founding members of OpenAI, recently conducted a test with an AI agent, charging it with finding a more efficient way to train a small language model.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
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Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026
So, when there’s conversation around how these language models are being trained, for instance, people are hesitant to talk about the reality of what’s going on.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
When there’s conversation around how these language models are being trained, for instance….
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
And Andrej Karpathy, one of the founding members of OpenAI, recently conducted a test with an AI agent, charging it with finding a more efficient way to train a small language model.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for language model
Cite this Entry
“Language model.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/language%20model. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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