intersection

American  

[in-ter-sek-shuhn] / ˌɪn tərˈsɛk ʃən /

noun

intersections plural

1. a place where two or more roads meet, especially when at least one is a major highway; junction.

   Synonyms:

   corner, crossing

2. any place of intersection or the act or fact of intersecting.

3. Mathematics.

   1. Also called meet, product.  the set of elements that two or more sets have in common. ∩

   2. the greatest lower bound of two elements in a lattice.

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intersection British  

/ ˈɪntəˌsɛk-, ˌɪntəˈsɛkʃən /

noun

1. a point at which things intersect, esp a road junction

2. the act of intersecting or the state of being intersected

3. maths

   1. a point or set of points common to two or more geometric configurations

   2. Also called: product.  the set of elements that are common to two sets

   3. the operation that yields that set from a pair of given sets. Symbol: ∩, as in A ∩ B

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intersection Scientific  

/ ĭn′tər-sĕk′shən /

1. The point or set of points where one line, surface, or solid crosses another.

2. The set that contains only those elements shared by two or more sets. The intersection of the sets {3,4,5,6} and {4,6,8,10} is the set {4,6}. The symbol for intersection is .

3. Compare union

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intersectional
  adjective
• nonintersectional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• intersections
  plural

Etymology

Origin of intersection

First recorded in 1550–60, intersection is from the Latin word intersectiōn- (stem of intersectiō ). See intersect, -ion

Explanation

An intersection is a point where two lines or streets cross. There are two places you're most likely to find intersections: in math class and in traffic. In math, an intersection is the spot where two lines cross. Those lines share this common point. The center of the letter X is an intersection. The same is true for streets: the intersection of Clark and Huron is where those streets cross. From the intersection, you can choose to travel down either street. When you're trying to get somewhere, it's helpful to know the major intersections.

Example Sentences

Few fixtures at World Cup 2026 capture that intersection more completely than the Netherlands against Morocco.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

“The addition of Synaptics helps position onsemi at the intersection of these four pillars, enabling us to capture a significantly larger AI opportunity that extends beyond AI data center and into edge applications.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

“Cosm sits at the intersection of several trends shaping the future of entertainment,” Ahuja said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

On the road, every pedestrian and intersection presents a test.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

He replaced a worker named Robert Latimer, who had quit to take over as gatekeeper at the rail intersection in front of Holmes’s drugstore.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• crossing
• interchange
• junction