Hybrid Retrieval
Meaning and keywords each catch what the other misses.
Key Insight
Dense embedding search matches meaning while sparse keyword search (BM25) matches exact words; hybrid retrieval fuses their two ranked lists with reciprocal rank fusion so each covers the other's blind spots.
Why This Matters
Embeddings miss rare names, codes, and exact phrases that keyword search nails — and vice versa — so combining them reliably beats either method alone on real-world documents.