natural language

American  

[nach-er-uhl lang-gwigzh, nach-ruhl] / ˈnætʃ ər əl ˈlæŋ gwɪgʒ, ˈnætʃ rəl /

noun

1. a language used as a native tongue by a group of speakers, as Arabic, English, Mandarin, etc..

   Natural languages reflect cultural values like honesty or diplomacy in the manner and tone by which they communicate information.

2. a language that has developed and evolved naturally, through use by human beings, as opposed to an invented or constructed language, as a computer programming language (often used attributively): The search engine will return accurate results for keyword searches and natural language queries.

   Natural language is characterized by ambiguity that artificial intelligence struggles to interpret.

   The search engine will return accurate results for keyword searches and natural language queries.

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natural language British  

noun

1. a language that has evolved naturally as a means of communication among people Compare artificial language formal language

2. languages of this kind considered collectively

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Etymology

Origin of natural language

First recorded in 1770–75 natural language for def. 1; 1960–65 natural language for def. 2

Example Sentences

Athletes and coaches can also engage with it in natural language, asking questions about how a certain practice run went or advice on how to improve.

From The Wall Street Journal

One reason AI tools for project management help save time is because they support natural language processing, enabling managers and other site workers to speak directly to the apps on their devices.

From The Wall Street Journal

A user can talk to ChatGPT in natural language to help decide what to buy, and just a few clicks later the transaction is completed without leaving the chatbot.

From Barron's

About 17.8% of businesses reported using any form of AI—including machine learning, natural language processing, virtual agents, and voice recognition—in December, according to the Census Bureau’s Business Trends and Outlook Survey External link.

From Barron's

About 17.8% of businesses reported using any form of AI—including machine learning, natural language processing, virtual agents, and voice recognition—in December, according to the Census Bureau’s Business Trends and Outlook Survey External link.

From Barron's