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. )

Example Sentences

Byrne has always had a knack for marrying camp with earnest determination, as though she’s keenly aware of how often the two intersect in everyday life.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 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

Andy Kessler is the author of Inside View, a column he writes for The Wall Street Journal on technology and markets and where they intersect with culture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

Our worlds only intersect briefly in the morning when the three of us sit at the kitchen table and in the evening when we return there.

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

Related Words

• converge
• cross