intersect

American  

[in-ter-sekt] / ˌɪn tərˈsɛkt /

verb (used with object)

1. to cut or divide by passing through or across.

   The highway intersects the town.

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verb (used without object)

1. to cross, as lines or wires.

2. Geometry. to have one or more points in common.

   intersecting lines.

intersect British  

/ ˌɪntəˈsɛkt /

verb

1. to divide, cut, or mark off by passing through or across

2. (esp of roads) to cross (each other)

3. maths (often foll by with) to have one or more points in common (with another configuration)

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Other Word Forms

• nonintersecting adjective
• self-intersecting adjective
• unintersected adjective
• unintersecting adjective

Etymology

Origin of intersect

1605–15; < Latin intersectus, past participle of intersecāre “to cut through, sever”; inter- ( def. ), -sect ( def. )

Explanation

When two things intersect, they run into each other, or lie across each other. Your street might intersect with a main avenue, and your life will hopefully intersect with the lives of other interesting people. In geometry, when a line intersects another line, they meet at exactly one point, and when a circle intersects a line, there are two points where they touch each other. When two streets intersect, you get an intersection, where you'll often find a stop sign or traffic signal. The Latin root of intersect is intersectus, "intersect or cut asunder," which combines inter-, "between," and secare, "to cut."

Example Sentences

ATF’s findings reinforce how race and class intersect in America.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

Mr. Shear, a New Yorker, has made a movie that has an intuitive understanding of how the city’s random vectors intersect with each other.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

But the key point where these arcs intersect is pretty flimsy, hinging on convincing us that Grace, the greatest guy in the universe, has a personality defect that we don’t believe.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Those forces, she said, intersect directly with the Fed’s dual mandate.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

In the use of commonplaces, you can see where logos and ethos intersect.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• converge
• cross