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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of neural network

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

They are credited with proposing the first mathematical model of a neural network to explain how the brain’s biological connectivity produces complexity—thus leading to a computational theory of the mind.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

To address this, the researchers used tensor-polarization holography theory along with a convolutional neural network to recover all three types of data from diffraction intensity images.

From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026

Humans drive with two cameras and a neural network.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 20, 2026

Early models might activate a quarter of their neural network to answer a typical question; the newest ones activate a fraction of a percent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 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