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

Neural network training refers to helping systems learn to generate optimal values of parameters for a task like image or speech recognition.

From Science Daily • Dec. 7, 2023

Neural network image recognition systems are essentially algorithms that process data in a way that mimics the weighted firing pattern of neurons as an image is analyzed and identified.

From Science Daily • Nov. 16, 2023

Neural network: A mathematical system, modeled on the human brain, that learns skills by finding statistical patterns in data.

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2023