junction

American  

[juhngk-shuhn] / ˈdʒʌŋk ʃən /

noun

1. an act of joining; combining.

2. the state of being joined; union.

3. a place or point where two or more things are joined, as a seam or joint.

   Synonyms:

   welt, coupling, linkage, union

4. a place or point where two or more things meet or converge.

5. a place or station where railroad lines meet, cross, or diverge.

6. an intersection of streets, highways, or roads.

7. something that joins other things together.

   He used the device as a junction between the branch circuit and the main power lines.

   Synonyms:

   connection

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junction British  

/ ˈdʒʌŋkʃən /

noun

1. a place where several routes, lines, or roads meet, link, or cross each other

   a railway junction

2. a point on a motorway where traffic may leave or join it

3. electronics

   1. a contact between two different metals or other materials

      a thermocouple junction

   2. a transition region between regions of differing electrical properties in a semiconductor

      a p-n junction

4. a connection between two or more conductors or sections of transmission lines

5. the act of joining or the state of being joined

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Synonym Usage

Junction, juncture refer to a place, line, or point at which two or more things join. A junction is also a place where things come together: the junction of two rivers. A juncture is a line or point at which two bodies are joined, or a point of exigency or crisis in time: the juncture of the head and neck; a critical juncture in a struggle.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• junctional
  adjective
• interjunction
  noun

Etymology

Origin of junction

First recorded in 1705–15; from Latin junctiōn- (stem of junctiō ), equivalent to junct(us), past participle of jungere “to join” ( jung- join + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

The noun junction refers to a meeting or a joining of some kind. If you live at the junction of Main and State streets, then your house is where those two streets meet. Junction often refers to the point where streets or railway lines come together, but it can describe other things that are joined, especially things that are in motion or transmit other things. For example, your body has nerve junctions — the places where your nerves come together. You may go swimming at the junction of two rivers. Junction can also refer to something that connects things, like a junction you use to connect electrical cords.

Example Sentences

Another proposed element of the Gateway Program is to directly connect Penn Station to more NJ Transit lines instead of a necessary transfer at the first stop in New Jersey, Secaucus Junction.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

The M50 northbound is closed at the M1/M50 interchange, with the motorway also closed southbound at the same interchange and as far as Junction 4 - Ballymun.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

The M18/N18 southbound is closed at Junction 14 - Barefield at the R458 slip.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

The M8 is closed in the southbound direction at Junction 10 - Cahir at the N24 slip.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

On March 14, Franz left McCandless on the shoulder of Inter-state 70 outside Grand Junction and returned to southern Cali-fornia.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• confluence
• crossing
• intersection
• juncture
• terminal