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

---

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

---

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

Police said a car, driven by a 76-year-old woman, hit a shop at Cardiff Gate Services at junction 30 of the M4 in the Pontprennau area of the city.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

"It takes you a good half an hour or so just to get to the next junction."

From BBC • May 2, 2026

Standing on four pronged feet at the junction of two rivers, O’Donnell + Tuomey’s five-story design resembles a giant chipped molar.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

I’ve always seen my profession to be about junction making.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Palms and cedars grew along the cobbled road, and monuments stood at every junction.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• confluence
• crossing
• intersection
• juncture
• terminal