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

And in 2024 researchers at Harvard University developed a neural network model called TxGNN to surface existing drugs which could be used to treat rare conditions.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

By combining a custom neural network with laboratory data from a dusty plasma, the team showed that artificial intelligence can do more than analyze data or make predictions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2026

To make this possible, the research team trained a neural network to recognize how temperature patterns on the ocean surface shift and change shape under the influence of currents.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026

“We spent years developing the mathematical theory required to compress a neural network without losing its reasoning capabilities,” said Hassibi, chief executive of the venture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Until the middle of the nineteenth century that thinking symbolized the prevailing scientific thought about the human neural network.

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