intersection

intersection — noun

1. the point or place where two lines, paths, or surfaces meet and cross each other

1.nounB1
Definition

the point or place where two lines, paths, or surfaces meet and cross each other

Example

The two diagonal lines on the page meet at a single point called their intersection.

prepositional phrase: at the intersection

Quan drew two crossing lines and marked the intersection with a small dot.

Common collocations
  • at the intersection
  • point of intersection
  • intersection point
  • the intersection of
Synonyms
  • crossing

    more general; can refer to any place where things cross, including roads or lines

  • junction

    more common for roads; less natural for geometric lines

  • meeting point

    describes the same concept but is less technical

2. any point along a street where another road crosses it, usually managed by traff

2.nounA2
Definition

any point along a street where another road crosses it, usually managed by traffic lights or road signs

Example

Turn left at the next intersection, and the library will be on your right.

direction-giving context: turn left/right at the intersection

There was a long traffic jam at the intersection of Main Street and Park Avenue.

Common collocations
  • busy intersection
  • at the intersection of
  • major intersection
  • traffic intersection
  • street intersection
Synonyms
  • junction

    broader term; can refer to any point where roads meet, including motorway exits

  • crossroads

    specifically where two roads cross at right angles; more common in British English

  • crossing

    can refer to a pedestrian crossing or a place where roads cross

Usage Note

In everyday conversation, 'intersection' typically refers to a road junction where traffic may flow in different directions. For smaller, uncontrolled road junctions, 'crossroads' is also common in British English.

Common Mistakes

Turn left at the cross of the two roads.
Turn left at the intersection of the two roads.
'Cross' as a noun does not mean 'intersection'; use 'intersection' or 'crossroads' instead.

3. a situation in which two separate things come together and cross one another

3.nounC1
Definition

a situation in which two separate things come together and cross one another

Example

The intersection of the two rivers creates a wide area of calm, slow-moving water.

pattern: intersection of [noun] and [noun] for physical meeting

Scientists studied the intersection of ocean currents near the coast of New Zealand.

Common collocations
  • at the intersection of
  • the intersection of art and science
Synonyms
  • convergence

    suggests things moving towards each other and meeting; more technical

  • meeting

    simpler and more general; less precise than 'intersection'

  • crossing

    similar meaning but often implies one thing passing over another

Antonyms
  • divergence

    the process of moving apart or separating

Usage Note

This sense often appears in figurative or descriptive contexts, describing where two natural or abstract things meet (e.g., rivers, currents, disciplines). It is less common than sense 1 or 2.

4. in mathematics, the set of all elements that belong to each of several given set

4.nounC1
Definition

in mathematics, the set of all elements that belong to each of several given sets

Example

Ms. Chen asked the class to find the intersection of students in choir and band.

classroom context: common members of two groups

Zola drew a Venn diagram and shaded the intersection of the three overlapping circles.

Common collocations
  • intersection of sets
  • intersection of events
  • empty intersection
  • the intersection of

Usage Note

In mathematics, the intersection of two sets is written as A ∩ B. The symbol ∩ is read as 'intersect' or 'cap'. This sense is used mainly in set theory, probability, and logic.

Word family

  • intersect
    verbB2
  • intersecting
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All three words describe places where roads meet, but they differ in specificity and regional use. 'Intersection' is the most neutral and widely understood term in everyday English, used for any road crossing regardless of shape or size. 'Junction' is broader — it includes motorway exits and T-junctions where roads join rather than cross. In British English, 'crossroads' specifically refers to the point where two roads cross at right angles, while 'crossing' more often means a pedestrian crossing (zebra crossing) or a railway crossing. For example: 'Turn left at the next intersection' is natural anywhere; 'a dangerous junction on the highway' and 'the village crossroads' both describe specific types of road meeting points.

junction ↗crossroadscrossing ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • at the intersection of
  • the intersection between

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Intersection comes from the Latin word intersectio, formed from inter- (meaning 'between') and secare (meaning 'to cut'). So the original idea is 'a cutting between' or 'a cutting across'. It entered English around the 1550s, first used in geometry to describe lines that cut across each other, and later extended to roads and other situations where things cross.