# Legal AI Glossary

> Plain-English definitions of the AI terms legal professionals encounter: core concepts, how models work, usage terms, risk and governance vocabulary, and legal AI applications. Each definition is self-contained and citable, with the legal-practice angle noted where one exists. Maintained by MHSB Solutions. Educational information, not legal advice.

## Core pages

- [Glossary index](https://legalai.help/): all terms by category with short definitions.
- [Full glossary as plain text](https://legalai.help/llms-full.txt): every definition in this glossary in one AI-readable file, generated from the same data as the pages on every build.
- [Vendor landscape](https://legalai.help/legal-ai-vendor-landscape/): the eight legal AI tool categories with diligence questions, no rankings.
- [About](https://legalai.help/about/): how definitions are written and reviewed.
- [How this site uses AI](https://legalai.help/how-we-use-ai/): the glossary's own AI-use disclosure.
- [Privacy policy](https://legalai.help/privacy/): what this site collects (analytics and hosting logs) and how to reach us.

## Terms: Core concepts

- [Agentic AI](https://legalai.help/term/agentic-ai/)
- [AI agent](https://legalai.help/term/ai-agent/)
- [Deep learning](https://legalai.help/term/deep-learning/)
- [Foundation model](https://legalai.help/term/foundation-model/)
- [Generative AI](https://legalai.help/term/generative-ai/)
- [Large language model (LLM)](https://legalai.help/term/large-language-model/)
- [Machine learning (ML)](https://legalai.help/term/machine-learning/)
- [Multimodal AI](https://legalai.help/term/multimodal-ai/)
- [Natural language processing (NLP)](https://legalai.help/term/natural-language-processing/)
- [Transformer](https://legalai.help/term/transformer/)

## Terms: How models work

- [Context window](https://legalai.help/term/context-window/)
- [Embedding](https://legalai.help/term/embedding/)
- [Fine-tuning](https://legalai.help/term/fine-tuning/)
- [Inference](https://legalai.help/term/inference/)
- [Model weights](https://legalai.help/term/model-weights/)
- [Reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF)](https://legalai.help/term/reinforcement-learning-from-human-feedback/)
- [Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)](https://legalai.help/term/retrieval-augmented-generation/)
- [System prompt](https://legalai.help/term/system-prompt/)
- [Temperature](https://legalai.help/term/temperature/)
- [Token](https://legalai.help/term/token/)
- [Training data](https://legalai.help/term/training-data/)
- [Vector database](https://legalai.help/term/vector-database/)

## Terms: Using AI

- [API (application programming interface)](https://legalai.help/term/api/)
- [Chain-of-thought (CoT)](https://legalai.help/term/chain-of-thought/)
- [Closed model](https://legalai.help/term/closed-model/)
- [Enterprise AI](https://legalai.help/term/enterprise-ai/)
- [Few-shot prompting](https://legalai.help/term/few-shot-prompting/)
- [Hallucination](https://legalai.help/term/hallucination/)
- [Open model](https://legalai.help/term/open-model/)
- [Prompt](https://legalai.help/term/prompt/)
- [Prompt engineering](https://legalai.help/term/prompt-engineering/)
- [Zero data retention (ZDR)](https://legalai.help/term/zero-data-retention/)
- [Zero-shot prompting](https://legalai.help/term/zero-shot-prompting/)

## Terms: Risk and governance

- [AI audit](https://legalai.help/term/ai-audit/)
- [AI disclosure](https://legalai.help/term/ai-disclosure/)
- [AI governance](https://legalai.help/term/ai-governance/)
- [AI policy](https://legalai.help/term/ai-policy/)
- [Data residency](https://legalai.help/term/data-residency/)
- [Human in the loop (HITL)](https://legalai.help/term/human-in-the-loop/)
- [Model training on inputs](https://legalai.help/term/model-training-on-inputs/)
- [Prompt injection](https://legalai.help/term/prompt-injection/)
- [Shadow AI](https://legalai.help/term/shadow-ai/)
- [SOC 2](https://legalai.help/term/soc-2/)

## Terms: Legal AI applications

- [AI intake chatbot](https://legalai.help/term/ai-intake-chatbot/)
- [Contract analysis AI](https://legalai.help/term/contract-analysis-ai/)
- [Document automation](https://legalai.help/term/document-automation/)
- [E-discovery AI](https://legalai.help/term/e-discovery-ai/)
- [Legal AI](https://legalai.help/term/legal-ai/)
- [Legal research AI](https://legalai.help/term/legal-research-ai/)
- [Technology-assisted review (TAR)](https://legalai.help/term/technology-assisted-review/)

## Companion site

- [Legal AI Compliance Tracker](https://legalaicompliance.help/): a free, independent, plain-English tracker of U.S. state bar ethics opinions, court rules, and official guidance on lawyers using generative AI, verified against primary sources, with downloadable data.