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

See Examples For:

intersection intersections

A dip on Ridgecrest Road south of Elmwood Drive can obscure vehicles from sight, Dailey said, likening pulling out into the intersection to “playing an old-school Frogger game.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

When Dailey is able, he plans to petition for a traffic signal at the intersection, and potentially to have the stretch designated as a safety corridor subject to targeted enforcement and stepped-up fines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

She has written about the intersection of art, money and power for the Journal since 2006.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

While cases about social media harms revolve around the intersection of technology and addiction, the case against Meta focuses on its business practices, similar to when US regulators sued tobacco companies, Joralemon said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

SABIO, SHALE: It’s an intersection in an unincorporated public neighborhood, Mom.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

These intersections play an important role in many reactions triggered by light because they allow energy to move rapidly between electronic and structural motion.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026

Small trench networks are visible at intersections on approaches to the city, indicating the area is militarized, but these have also been in place for many months.

From BBC ● May 6, 2026

Their robot fleet of 2,000 robots uses AI to learn to beetter navigate unpredictable outdoor street intersections, crosswalks, climate conditions and obstacles.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026

Despite the often chaotic Croatian traffic and complicated intersections, Verne's head of country operations, Filip Cindric, said most rides are completed "without any intervention".

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

All day, Omakayas and her grandmother worked hard retying the intersections on last year’s willow frame.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich

Related Words

• crossing
• interchange
• junction