Definition

What is Few-Shot Prompting? — Plain-Language AI Definition

A prompting technique where you provide input-output examples in the prompt so the model learns the expected pattern before processing new input.

What is Few-Shot Prompting?

Few-shot prompting is a technique where you include a small number of input-output examples directly in your prompt. The model reads these examples and uses them to understand the format, tone, and reasoning pattern you expect.

How Many Examples?

  • Zero-shot -- no examples, just instructions
  • One-shot -- a single example
  • Few-shot -- two to five examples (best balance)

Key Takeaway

Few-shot prompting is the most reliable way to show a model what you want. When instructions are ambiguous, examples speak louder than words.

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