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• cross section
  cross section

  noun

  a section made by a plane cutting anything transversely, especially at right angles to the longest axis.
• cross-section
  cross-section

  adjective

  Also cross-sectional. of or relating to a cross section.

cross section

¹ American  

[kraws sek-shuhn, kros] / ˈkrɔs ˌsɛk ʃən, ˈkrɒs /

noun

• cross sections
  plural

1. a section made by a plane cutting anything transversely, especially at right angles to the longest axis.

2. a piece so cut off.

3. a photograph, diagram, or other pictorial representation of such a section.

4. the act of cutting anything across.

5. a typical selection; a sample showing all characteristic parts, relationships, etc..

   a cross section of American opinion.

6. Surveying. a vertical section of the ground surface taken at right angles to a survey line.

7. Also called nuclear cross section. Physics. a quantity expressing the effective area that a given nucleus presents as a target to a bombarding particle, giving a measure of the probability that the particle will induce a reaction.

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cross-section ² American  

[kraws-sek-shuhn, kros-] / ˈkrɔsˈsɛk ʃən, ˈkrɒs- /

adjective

1. Also cross-sectional. of or relating to a cross section.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make or divide into a cross section.

cross section British  

noun

1. maths a plane surface formed by cutting across a solid, esp perpendicular to its longest axis

2. a section cut off in this way

3. the act of cutting anything in this way

4. a random selection or sample, esp one regarded as representative

   a cross section of the public

5. surveying a vertical section of a line of ground at right angles to a survey line

6. physics a measure of the probability that a collision process will result in a particular reaction. It is expressed by the effective area that one participant presents as a target for the other

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cross section Scientific  

1. In particle physics, an expression of the probability of the occurrence of an event, typically the scattering of subatomic particles, over a given area.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cross-sectional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cross sections
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cross section¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Origin of cross-section²

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cross section cross-section

A broader cross section of thousands of fund returns make up commonly used performance indexes published by Cambridge Associates and MSCI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 22, 2025

Louisiana that the Sixth Amendment demands a jury drawn from a representative cross section of the community.

From Slate ● Oct. 23, 2025

Ms Edwards said the 10 companies in attendance at Thursday's meeting covered a "cross section" of first-line direct suppliers, covering the "whole eco-system" of the supply chain.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2025

The setting allows for a cross section of humanity, united in distress, and occasional passages of sociopolitical commentary.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025

It was the widest cross section of political groups ever gathered in one place in South Africa.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

In 2020, she was among a cross-section of public figures who signed an open letter denouncing cancel culture, saying it weakens open debate by shutting people down.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

A compelling model comes from the burgeoning global movement of citizens’ assemblies — deliberative bodies in which a randomly selected, representative cross-section of the public is convened to consider complex policy questions.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026

A larger atmosphere presents a bigger cross-section to incoming starlight, allowing it to absorb more radiation.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026

She currently serves as creative and projects editor at the Guardian, UCSD’s independent student-run newspaper, where she leads cross-section collaboration and develops innovative approaches to storytelling.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026

In cross-section it consisted of two concen­tric walls: the wet, slightly rough outer wall, so vibrantly green, and an inner wall midway between the outer wall and the core of the algae.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Related Words

• random sample
• sampling