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Hybrid Search

An approach that combines semantic vector search with keyword-based and filter-based classical retrieval techniques.

Hybrid search is powerful in cases where semantic similarity alone or keyword matching alone is insufficient. Keyword search ensures exact terms are not missed, while vector search contributes semantic understanding. Combining both can improve quality in document retrieval, enterprise knowledge systems, and RAG architectures. Hybrid retrieval represents a design philosophy in which complementary signals are used together rather than relying on a single method.