# Grounding

> Connecting model output to verifiable sources or environmental facts.

- Category: Retrieval & Grounding
- Stage: Established
- Also called: Grounded generation, Source grounding
- Canonical: https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/grounding

## Plain English

Grounding is how you keep the answer tied to reality.

## Example

A generated answer cites the exact policy document and section it used.

## Why it matters

Grounding reduces hallucinations and improves trust in high-stakes or factual workflows.

## Related

- [RAG](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/retrieval-augmented-generation)
- [Citations](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/citations)
- [Tool Result](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/tool-result)

## Sources

- [Google Cloud Generative AI Glossary](https://docs.cloud.google.com/docs/generative-ai/glossary)
- [IBM: Retrieval-Augmented Generation](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/retrieval-augmented-generation)