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Agentic RAG

Reviewed 19 July 2026Canonical definitionPart of: Agent Evaluation Terms →

Agentic RAG combines retrieval-augmented generation with autonomous agent capabilities, allowing the agent to decide what to retrieve, from which sources, and how to synthesize results. Which sources the agent may query, and how it chooses between them, is what separates a dependable agentic RAG system from an unpredictable one.

§01 / QUESTIONSterm: Agentic RAG
Questions

Common questions.

What is Agentic RAG?

Agentic RAG combines retrieval-augmented generation with autonomous agent capabilities, allowing the agent to decide what to retrieve, from which sources, and how to synthesize results.

How does Agentic RAG work?

Which sources the agent may query, and how it chooses between them, is what separates a dependable agentic RAG system from an unpredictable one.

Which terms are related to Agentic RAG?

Closely related concepts include Continuous Integration Agent, Retrieval Poisoning, Answer Faithfulness, Context Precision. Each is defined in the Prefactor glossary.

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