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

But there is one place he avoids: a vacant lot at the intersection of Dauphine and Alabo streets.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026

"There is a local saying that if you put a camera at an intersection in Chongqing, every 30 seconds you'll see a motorcycle pass by," said Zhang Yuanming, a 29-year-old motorbike enthusiast and instructor.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

“Right now we are right at that intersection of short, intermediate and long-term recovery.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

I’m Sara O’Brien, a reporter covering the intersection of culture, health and wellness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

He led us all the way to an intersection where the paved road met a dirt road that disappeared off into the corn.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

“People don’t hear the sirens during pursuit — maybe they’re not paying attention — and you risk cars getting hit in intersections or other places.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

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

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

The Familiar must be programmed to handle these scenarios, like an autonomous vehicle is programmed to handle tricky intersections.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026

The senior staff, conferring in self-important groups at the corridor intersections, were nursing a secret.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Related Words

• crossing
• interchange
• junction