junction

junction — noun

1. any point at which roads, railway lines, footpaths, or waterways connect or cros

1.nounB1
Definition

any point at which roads, railway lines, footpaths, or waterways connect or cross, letting people or vehicles move from one route to another.

Example

Turn left at the next junction and you will see the petrol station.

imperative direction: turn left at [the] junction

David missed the turning because the road sign near the junction was hidden by trees.

Common collocations
  • dangerous junction
  • busy junction
  • railway junction
  • road junction
  • T-junction
  • junction box
Synonyms
  • crossroads

    specifically the point where two roads cross at the same level; less formal than 'junction'

  • intersection

    more common in American English for places where roads cross each other

  • interchange

    a large junction where roads are connected by a system of slip roads, typical of motorways

Grammar Patterns

at the junction (of…)

the junction between…and…

Usage Note

In American English, 'intersection' is more common for roads that cross; 'junction' is still used for railway lines and highway interchanges.

Common Mistakes

Turn right at the next intersection' (when referring to a T-junction where one road ends).
Turn right at the next junction.
'Intersection' implies roads crossing, not one road ending at another.

2. within a closed wiring system, a spot where conductors meet and the electric cur

2.nounB2
Definition

within a closed wiring system, a spot where conductors meet and the electric current can branch into separate routes or gather from multiple paths.

Example

The electrician checked every junction in the circuit for loose connections.

collocation: junction in [the] circuit

Camila traced the wires back to the central junction to find the broken connection.

Common collocations
  • junction box
  • central junction
  • circuit junction
  • terminal junction
Synonyms
  • node

    more technical, used in circuit theory and network analysis; 'junction' is the practical, physical term

  • connection point

    a more general phrase that learners may recognise; less precise than 'junction' in electronics

Grammar Patterns

at the junction

junction in [a circuit]

Usage Note

Frequently used in compound nouns such as 'junction box' (an enclosure that protects electrical connections) and 'solder junction' (a connection made with melted metal).

Common Mistakes

The wires meet at a joint in the circuit.
The wires meet at a junction in the circuit.
In electronics, 'junction' is the technical term for a meeting point of conductors; 'joint' refers to a mechanical connection.

3. in human or animal anatomy, any site where two hollow structures — such as ducts

3.nounC1
Definition

in human or animal anatomy, any site where two hollow structures — such as ducts, vessels, or tubes — meet or merge.

Example

The scan showed a blockage at the junction of the bile duct and the pancreas.

pattern: at the junction of [organ] and [organ]

The doctor said the pain was at the junction of the spine and the pelvis.

Common collocations
  • neuromuscular junction
  • gap junction
  • biliary junction
  • bone junction
Synonyms
  • connection

    a broader, less technical term that can work in lay descriptions; lacks the anatomical precision of 'junction'

  • suture

    specifically refers to a seam-like junction between bones of the skull; much narrower in meaning

Grammar Patterns

at the junction of [body part] and [body part]

Usage Note

Mostly appears in medical or biological writing. Compound terms like 'neuromuscular junction' (nerve-to-muscle connection) and 'gap junction' (a channel between cells) are standard in their fields.

4. the act, process, or state of two or more things coming together or being connec

4.nounC1
Definition

the act, process, or state of two or more things coming together or being connected to form a single unit or place of meeting.

Example

The junction of the two rivers created a wide, slow-moving stream.

pattern: the junction of [river A] and [river B]

The junction of art and technology often produces exciting new forms of design.

Common collocations
  • junction of cultures
  • junction of ideas
  • junction of rivers
Synonyms
  • union

    emphasises the result of joining into a single whole, rather than the point of meeting

  • confluence

    more poetic and specific to rivers or streams of people/ideas; a higher register than 'junction'

  • meeting point

    a simpler, everyday phrase that can replace this abstract sense in most contexts

Antonyms
  • separation

    the opposite state — things being apart rather than joined

Grammar Patterns

the junction of [X] and [Y]

the junction between [X] and [Y]

Usage Note

This abstract sense is more common in formal writing and descriptive prose than in everyday conversation. It often describes the meeting of ideas, cultures, or historical forces.

Common Mistakes

The junction between the two departments happened last month.
The merger of the two departments happened last month.
'Junction' refers to a point or place of meeting, not the organisational act of merging.

5. a physical object, device, or fitting that connects two separate things — such a

5.nounC1
Definition

a physical object, device, or fitting that connects two separate things — such as pipes, cables, or sections of track — so that they form a continuous system.

Example

A brass junction connects the old copper pipe to the new plastic one.

collocation: brass junction / between [pipe A] and [pipe B]

Adaeze bought a plastic junction for joining two garden hoses together.

Common collocations
  • brass junction
  • rubber junction
  • pipe junction
  • cable junction
Synonyms
  • connector

    the most common everyday word for a device that joins things; 'junction' is more technical and structural

  • coupling

    specifically a device for joining two parts of a pipe, hose, or railway carriage; more precise for mechanical contexts

  • joint

    a general word for where two parts connect, but can also mean a movable hinge rather than a fixed connector

Grammar Patterns

a junction between [X] and [Y]

a junction for [doing something]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (a place where roads or rails meet) — this sense refers to the physical fitting or device that does the connecting, not the location. It overlaps with 'connector' and 'coupling'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a place where roads or routes meet, but they differ in precision and regional use. 'Junction' is the broadest term — it covers any meeting point of roads, railways, paths, or rivers. 'Crossroads' is narrower: it specifically means two roads that cross each other at the same level, and it is used in both British and American English. 'Intersection' is the standard American term for any road crossing, including T-junctions and four-way crossings; in British English it is less common for everyday road use. 'Interchange' is the most specific — it describes a large, complex junction where drivers can move between motorways or major highways via slip roads and bridges. Example: 'The M25 and M4 meet at a huge interchange west of London.' For everyday directions, British speakers say 'at the next junction' while American speakers say 'at the next intersection' or 'at the next crossroads'.

crossroadsintersection ↗interchangejunction ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • at the junction of
  • junction between
  • junction with

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'junction' comes from Latin 'iunctio' (a joining), which is built on 'iungere' (to join). It entered English through Old French 'junction' in the 1500s, first carrying the general meaning of 'a joining or uniting'. By the 1700s, physical meanings — a place where roads or rivers meet — became common. The electrical and anatomical senses developed in the 1800s as science needed more precise terms for connection points. The same Latin root 'iungere' also gave us 'join', 'joint', 'conjunction', and 'juncture'.