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Large language model (LLM)

By Updated

A foundation model for language, usually served from a data centre behind an API. Because calls pass through a gateway, runtime controls (tracing, filtering, stopping) can sit centrally 1.

Developed in
ch. 11, LLMs and SLMs
Chapters
ch. 11, AI Defined
Contrast with
Small language model (SLM)
Source
1 numbered reference, listed below

Where it is used

12 chapters of the Body of Knowledge use the term. Each link opens the first section that does.

Large language model (LLM): mentions per chapter44 mentions of the term across 12 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter04 The Stack: 1 mention04 The Stack105 Patterns: 1 mention05 Patterns106 The Role: 1 mention06 The Role108 Regulatory Map: 5 mentions08 Regulatory Map510 Reading List: 8 mentions10 Reading List811 AI Defined: 8 mentions11 AI Defined814 Development: 4 mentions14 Development416 Fairness & XAI: 2 mentions16 Fairness & XAI219 Privacy & AI: 1 mention19 Privacy & AI121 AI Laws Worldwide: 3 mentions21 AI Laws Worldwide322 Principles & Standards: 1 mention22 Principles & Standards123 AI Agents: 9 mentions23 AI Agents9No mentions in the other 11 chaptersSource: the Body of Knowledgev0.5.0
Large language model (LLM): mentions per chapter44 mentions of the term across 12 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter0001020304 The Stack: 1 mention10405 Patterns: 1 mention10506 The Role: 1 mention1060708 Regulatory Map: 5 mentions50810 Reading List: 8 mentions81011 AI Defined: 8 mentions811121314 Development: 4 mentions4141516 Fairness & XAI: 2 mentions216171819 Privacy & AI: 1 mention1192021 AI Laws Worldwide: 3 mentions32122 Principles & Standards: 1 mention12223 AI Agents: 9 mentions923Source: the Body of Knowledge v0.5.0
Mentions per chapter How often each chapter names the term, with the chapters the glossary cross-references drawn solid. The longest bar is where to read the term in use; bars spread across many chapters mark a term that runs through the discipline.
Mentions as a table
Mentions of Large language model (LLM) per chapter
ChapterMentionsCross-referenced
00 Preface0No
01 Definition0No
02 Why Now0No
03 Values & Principles0No
04 The Stack1No
05 Patterns1No
06 The Role1No
07 Maturity Model0No
08 Regulatory Map5No
10 Reading List8No
11 AI Defined8Yes
12 Governance Program0No
13 Risk Management0No
14 Development4No
15 Deployment0No
16 Fairness & XAI2No
17 Incidents0No
18 EU AI Act0No
19 Privacy & AI1No
20 Existing Law0No
21 AI Laws Worldwide3No
22 Principles & Standards1No
23 AI Agents9No

Patterns that use this term

8 pattern pages use the term, most mentions first.

Large language model (LLM): related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastColour: stack layer of the pattern01 Govern-as-Code02 Inventory03 Evals04 Runtime ControlsLarge language model (LLM)Related terms (2)Foundation model · RelatedFoundation modelHidden Context Exposure · RelatedHidden Context ExposureContrast with (1)Small language model (SLM) · ContrastSmall language model (SLM)Patterns using it most (6)AI Threat Model, 2 mentions · Uses the termAI Threat ModelAdversarial Red-Team Suite, 1 mention · Uses the termAdversarial Red-Team SuiteDataset Admission Gate, 1 mention · Uses the termDataset Admission GateRights Requests Against Models, 2 mentions · Uses the termRights Requests Against ModelsSanctioned AI Gateway, 3 mentions · Uses the termSanctioned AI GatewayVendor / Model Due-Diligence Gate, 3 mentions · Uses the termVendor / Model Due-Diligence
Large language model (LLM): related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastColour: stack layer of the pattern01 Govern-as-Code02 Inventory03 Evals04 Runtime ControlsRelated terms (2)Foundation model · RelatedFoundation modelHidden Context Exposure · RelatedHidden Context ExposureContrast with (1)Small language model (SLM) · ContrastSmall language model (SLM)Patterns using it most (6)AI Threat Model, 2 mentions · Uses the termAI Threat ModelAdversarial Red-Team Suite, 1 mention · Uses the termAdversarial Red-Team SuiteDataset Admission Gate, 1 mention · Uses the termDataset Admission GateRights Requests Against Models, 2 mentions · Uses the termRights Requests Against ModelsSanctioned AI Gateway, 3 mentions · Uses the termSanctioned AI GatewayVendor / Model Due-Diligence Gate, 3 mentions · Uses the termVendor / Model Due-DiligenceLarge languagemodel (LLM)
The term's neighbourhood Terms related to this one on solid edges, terms it is often confused with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer. Follow a dashed edge to check the distinction before you use either term.
Neighbourhood as a table
Neighbourhood of Large language model (LLM)
FamilyItemRelation
Related termsFoundation modelRelated
Related termsHidden Context ExposureRelated
Contrast withSmall language model (SLM)Contrast
Patterns using it mostAI Threat Model, 2 mentionsUses the term
Patterns using it mostAdversarial Red-Team Suite, 1 mentionUses the term
Patterns using it mostDataset Admission Gate, 1 mentionUses the term
Patterns using it mostRights Requests Against Models, 2 mentionsUses the term
Patterns using it mostSanctioned AI Gateway, 3 mentionsUses the term
Patterns using it mostVendor / Model Due-Diligence Gate, 3 mentionsUses the term
  • Hidden Context Exposure

    LLM08:2026 in the OWASP LLM Top 10, which replaced System Prompt Leakage: extracting, inferring or reconstructing the hidden context a model sees, such as…

  • Foundation model

    A model trained on broad data at scale and adaptable to a wide range of downstream tasks.

Sources

  1. [1] Phi-3 Technical Report: A Highly Capable Language Model Locally on Your Phone (3.8-billion-parameter model deployable on a phone; arXiv 2404.14219). Abdin et al. (Microsoft). 2024-04-22. https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.14219 (verified: primary)

Definitions of legal terms paraphrase the cited text, which governs. Dated statements are as of .

Cite this term

García Aibar, J. (2026). Large language model (LLM). In AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis & Body of Knowledge (v0.5.0), Glossary. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197. https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/large-language-model-llm. CC BY 4.0

BibTeX

@misc{aige2026largelanguagemodelllm,
  author  = {Jorge García Aibar},
  title   = {{Large language model (LLM)}},
  note    = {Glossary, AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis \& Body of Knowledge, version 0.5.0},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.22956197},
  url     = {https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/large-language-model-llm}
}