intersection

[ in-ter-sek-shuhn ]

See synonyms for intersection on Thesaurus.com

noun

a place where two or more roads meet, especially when at least one is a major highway; junction.
any place of intersection or the act or fact of intersecting.

Mathematics.
- Also called meet, product . the set of elements that two or more sets have in common. Symbol: ∩
- the greatest lower bound of two elements in a lattice.

Origin of intersection

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

Other words for intersection

1	crossroads, crossing, corner

See synonyms for intersection on Thesaurus.com

Other words from intersection

in·ter·sec·tion·al, adjective
non·in·ter·sec·tion·al, adjective

Words Nearby intersection

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use intersection in a sentence

So the extra credit was really asking for the points of intersection between the topmost curves from Mike’s graph.
Can You Cover The Globe? | Zach Wissner-Gross | August 28, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
The cohomology theories that produce these intersection numbers may do more than just ease a computational burden — they could also point to the physical significance of the most important quantities in the calculation.
The Mathematical Structure of Particle Collisions Comes Into View | Charlie Wood | August 20, 2020 | Quanta Magazine
This is also the case of the current Sports Arena RFP for the 48 acres located at the intersection of the 5 and 8 freeways.
Results, Not Renderings, Are What Matters for Sports Arena Property | Jason Riggs | July 15, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
Those who’ve followed me since my early blogging days know I’m obsessed with the intersection at the heart of three questions.
Couch Potato No More: How the Benefits of Exercise Transfer to the Brain | Shelly Fan | July 14, 2020 | Singularity Hub
Which is to say, the intersection point corresponded exactly to the four vertices of a rectangle on the curve.
New Geometric Perspective Cracks Old Problem About Rectangles | Kevin Hartnett | June 25, 2020 | Quanta Magazine

And also probably because this fool stopped at a red light in the middle of an intersection.
The Amanda Bynes Train Wreck Is Back Again, Following a New DUI Arrest | Kevin Fallon | September 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Something extraordinary is happening at the intersection of religion and LGBT people.
Meet the Young, Evangelical, Pro-Gay Movement | Gene Robinson | September 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Some of the pre-eminent innovators at the intersection of art and coding are based at the Aesthetics and Computation Group at MIT.
Frickin’ Laser Beams Run by Eyeballs: The Next Art Revolution Is Here | Nico Hines | July 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The RIP offers a clear window into the intersection of poverty and vermin.
Crowdsourcing NYC’s War on Rats | Kevin Zawacki | June 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
My Life and Living History hit the perfect intersection of news and gossip, and people who salivate for both bought those books.
Hillary’s Book Sales Are Weak by Clinton Standards | Jason Pinter | June 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The point F is determined by the intersection of the two lines, one beginning at A, and the other at E.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 | Various
Past the intersection, past the one beyond that, on up the thoroughfare until the gray haze of the city dimmed everything.
The Day Time Stopped Moving | Bradner Buckner
The big and beneficent institution is in Rue Saint-Jacques, at its intersection with the street named in his honor.
The Stones of Paris in History and Letters, Volume I (of 2) | Benjamin Ellis Martin
The minor and major axes are at a right angle one to the other, and their point of intersection is termed the axis of the ellipse.
Mechanical Drawing Self-Taught | Joshua Rose
Thus are formed in this chart four specimens of the Swastika, with the cross and circle at the intersection of the arms.
The Swastika | Thomas Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for intersection

intersection

/ (ˌɪntəˈsɛkʃən, ˈɪntəˌsɛk-) /

noun

a point at which things intersect, esp a road junction
the act of intersecting or the state of being intersected

maths
- a point or set of points common to two or more geometric configurations
- Also called: product the set of elements that are common to two sets
- the operation that yields that set from a pair of given sets. Symbol: ∩, as in A ∩ B

Derived forms of intersection

intersectional, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for intersection

intersection

[ ĭn′tər-sĕk′shən ]

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

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