intersection

[in-ter-sek-shuhn]

noun

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.

intersection

/ 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

intersection

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

Other Word Forms

• intersectional adjective
• nonintersectional adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of intersection¹

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

Example Sentences

But for one pivotal moment in the Roaring ’20s, the building stood squarely at the intersection of major changes in the U.S. economy, changes that contributed to the making of the modern American corporation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

As he rode through the city on this warm summer morning, Seidel saw Soviet-made tanks blocking intersections.

Read more on Literature

Traffic lights no longer work, causing perilous intersections.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Kimberly-Clark is adding a company at the intersection of consumer packaged goods and healthcare, Chief Executive Mike Hsu said in a statement.

Read more on MarketWatch

The episode underscores the delicate intersections of faith, marriage and public life.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• crossing 
• interchange 
• junction