Glossary · Updated Sep 2, 2026

Temperature

A setting that controls randomness in generation; low values give consistent answers, high values give more varied ones.

Definition

Temperature scales the probability distribution over next tokens. Near zero, the model picks the most likely continuation, producing deterministic and conservative output; higher values increase diversity and creativity at the cost of coherence. Related settings include top-p sampling. Consumer products hide this behind modes like precise or creative.

Why it matters when choosing a tool

Lower temperature suits factual and structured tasks; higher suits brainstorming. Knowing this helps interpret a tool's creative versus precise modes.

Where you will meet it

AI Writing & Editing, AI Coding & Development

Related terms

Prompt · Hallucination · Inference

Tools where this matters

Reviewed products in the related categories