AI Glossary
Vector database
What is Vector database?
A database optimised for storing and querying high-dimensional numerical vectors (embeddings). Used in RAG systems and semantic search to quickly find data points similar to a query. Examples include Pinecone, Weaviate, Qdrant, and pgvector (PostgreSQL extension).
Example in practice
A professional services firm building an AI knowledge base from thousands of past engagement reports would store document embeddings in a vector database — allowing consultants to find semantically relevant precedents instantly.