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 computational model of a neural network mimicked the owl’s auditory map—the flow of auditory information—which helped Rumelhart derive a theory about how the owl’s system developed and worked.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

The researchers trained their neural network using large sets of simulated data.

From Science Daily • Jan. 26, 2026

Humans drive with two cameras and a neural network.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 20, 2026

In a groundbreaking step, researchers at the University of Tokyo applied a type of artificial intelligence known as a Bayesian neural network to study gut bacteria.

From Science Daily • Nov. 10, 2025

And these technological therapies would have to be constructed, she said, so that they don’t invite their own side effects, like, say, overbuilding one neural network.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel