intersection

noun in·ter·sec·tion \ ˌin-tər-ˈsek-shən , especially in sense 2 ˈin-tər-ˌsek- \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

Examples: intersection in a Sentence

Definition of intersection

1 : the act or process of intersecting

2 : a place or area where two or more things (such as streets) intersect

3 a : the set of elements common to two or more sets; especially : the set of points common to two geometric configurations

b : the operation of finding the intersection of two or more sets

See intersection defined for English-language learners

See intersection defined for kids

Examples of intersection in a Sentence

The accident occurred at a busy intersection.
two possible points of intersection
the intersection of line A and line B

Recent Examples of intersection from the Web

Evictions of thousands of people from makeshift settlements in Abidjan and a drive to chase street vendors and beggars from intersections have stoked criticism that the government is ignoring the poor.

— pauline bax, Bloomberg.com, "Ivory Coast’s President Suggests He May Run Again, Sparking Concern," 4 June 2018
The upcoming, six-story Cambria Hotel by Choice Hotels headed for the business's predecessor will sit on a little more than a half-acre at the intersection of Floyd and Market streets downtown.

— maggie menderski, The Courier-Journal, "Iconic Louisville gay night club is being demolished for new hotel," 4 June 2018
Greenside The intersection of Kenilworth Avenue and Morehead Street has already been drastically transformed with new apartments, and the 225-unit Greenside building on Harding Place is the latest in that wave of new building.

— ely portillo, charlotteobserver, "Studio apartments start at $1,135, and that's the cheapest at new Charlotte buildings," 4 June 2018
Red-Light Recorders Cameras at intersections nationwide already upload images of vehicles and license plates to databases, allowing officers to monitor the movements of suspects and identify cars near crime scenes.

— gregory barber, WIRED, "Crime Fighting Gets High-Tech Advances," 3 June 2018
Let the people who live near that intersection decide what to do with it.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Algren Award runner-up: "Here Is Where the Taxi Driver Set His Wife on Fire" by GKS Waller," 2 June 2018
In Santa Cruz, get in left lane and stay on Highway 1 south, turn left at signed lighted intersection and continue 46 miles to Carmel.

— tom stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle, "Sunday getaway to Carmel’s Point Lobos," 2 June 2018
More than 85,000 vehicles use the intersection each day, with the number of drivers expected to increase over the next five to 10 years.

— john tuohy, Indianapolis Star, "Monday just got worse: Roundabout work to begin at Keystone and 96th Street," 1 June 2018
The intersection of presidential politics and economic data has sparked controversy in the past.

— nick timiraos, WSJ, "Trump Tweeted About Jobs Report Before Release," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intersection.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of intersection

First Known Use of intersection

1559

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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intersection Synonyms

Synonyms

corner, crossing, crossroad, crossway(s), junction;

circle, rotary, traffic circle;

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

INTERSECTION Defined for English Language Learners

intersection

noun

Definition of intersection for English Language Learners

: the place or point where two or more things come together; especially : the place where two or more streets meet or cross each other
: the act or process of crossing or intersecting