Tip2026-06-30#dictionary
A definition is not proof
This confusion appears constantly in AI learning. A reader finds a clean definition for retrieval relevance and then treats that definition as evidence that a retrieved answer is relevant.
The definition answers: what does this term mean? The receipt answers: what supports this claim here? Both matter, but they do different jobs.
The advanced move is to pair them: define the term, inspect the artifact, then ask which receipt proves the artifact meets the definition.
Aha moment
Definitions stabilize language. Receipts prove claims. Mixing those jobs creates false confidence.
Try this
For one AI term, write the definition question and the proof question separately, then answer both with different sources.
Watch for
- A clean definition treated as evidence for a live claim
- Receipts judged without agreeing on the term
- Dictionary links used where a current source is required