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pattern recognition JUST WRITTEN FOR YOU

/ˈpætərn ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃən/ · pat·tern rec·og·ni·tion
noun
  1. The mental or computational process of detecting regularities, structures, or recurring elements in sensory input or data. Human infants display early pattern recognition when they can distinguish rhythmic beats in music.
  2. A field of study in artificial intelligence and statistics concerned with algorithms that automatically identify patterns in large datasets. Advances in pattern recognition have enabled facial‑unlock features on smartphones.
Did you know? The term 'pattern recognition' became a buzzword in the 1960s when psychologists like B.F. Skinner and early AI researchers began exploring how both brains and machines could learn to identify regularities.
Written by Lexi Wordsworth, Dictionary Editor 0 lookups Added Jul 15, 2026