# foundation model

CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/foundation-model
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Definition

A big general AI model that companies then adapt for lots of different jobs.

For teachers: A large, general-purpose model pretrained on broad data that serves as a base for adaptation to numerous downstream tasks.

## Examples

- The company built several applications on the same foundation model.
- Foundation models can be adapted for specialized uses.

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