neural network

American  

[noor-uhl net-wurk, nyoor-uhl] / ˈnʊr əl ˈnɛtˌwɜrk, ˈnyʊr əl /

noun

1. any group of neurons that conduct impulses in a coordinated manner, as the assemblages of brain cells that record a visual stimulus.

2. Also called neural net.  Computers. a hardware or software system in which weighted connections between data nodes are refined to produce increasingly accurate results in information processing, as in pattern recognition or problem solving, with the goal of algorithmic computing that requires minimal human intervention.

---

neural network British  

noun

1. an interconnected system of neurons, as in the brain or other parts of the nervous system

2. Also called: neural net.  an analogous network of electronic components, esp one in a computer designed to mimic the operation of the human brain

---

Etymology

Origin of neural network

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

The first version of Gemini still lagged behind ChatGPT in many ways, but Google’s technically more ambitious approach would pay dividends over time, just as its early research in neural networks had.

From The Wall Street Journal

The research team focused on three major types of neural network designs commonly used in modern AI systems: transformers, fully connected networks, and convolutional neural networks.

From Science Daily

In a 1979 survey for Scientific American, Crick discussed new methods in neuroscience, including mapping areas of the brain and using computers to model neural networks of the kind that now power AI systems.

From The Wall Street Journal

As Zoe, one of the protagonists, notes early on, her interest in a particular professor’s work stems from his success in “using AI neural networks to understand biological neural networks and the processes of thinking.”

From Los Angeles Times

Earlier studies often examined isolated brain regions, but pain, stress and major life events tend to influence widespread neural networks.

From Science Daily