intersection

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

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

The Infowars interview was one of several intersections between the DNC case obsessives and right-wing media.

— david weigel, Washington Post, "In one corner of the Internet, the 2016 Democratic primary never ended," 29 Aug. 2017
The route segments through Sodo and Rainier Valley cross intersections at the surface.

— mike lindblom, The Seattle Times, "Taxi, light-rail train collide Sunday night near Othello Station," 28 Aug. 2017
Photos on social media show several feet of flood waters swallowing up large swaths of the city, including major expressways and intersections.

— patrick m. o'connell, chicagotribune.com, "Illinois volunteers on their way to Texas to aid Harvey relief effort," 27 Aug. 2017
A photo on Twitter from the area near the Rangers’ hotel showed a good 12 feet — 12 feet — of flood water at one intersection.

— jeff wilson, star-telegram, "Rangers Reaction: Houston needs help with Harvey, not baseball," 27 Aug. 2017
The intersection of those two gigs is even more dangerous.

— jack holmes, Esquire, "A Fourth Russian Ambassador in 9 Months Is Now Dead," 24 Aug. 2017
Here, at the intersection of Kansas 7 and Kansas 92, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa converge.

— kara lewis,, kansascity, "Countdown to your most fall KC weekend ever," 24 Aug. 2017
A truck driver distracted by a GPS unit crashed near the intersection of U.S. 278 and Arkansas 24 at Camden early Monday and spilled a truckload of spaghetti sauce.

— Bloomberg.com, "Bourbon, Pizzas And Now Spaghetti Sauce Cover Arkansas Roads," 22 Aug. 2017
In addition, intersection murals have been painted in Pacific Beach, and the weekly Fair @ 44 international market has been established on a formerly vacant lot in City Heights on El Cajon Boulevard between Fairmount Avenue and 44th Street.

— david garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Neighborhoods could become more lively, colorful under proposed San Diego law," 21 Aug. 2017

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

intersection Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

cloverleaf, interchange, overpass, underpass; circle, rotary, roundabout [British], traffic circle

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

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

INTERSECTION Defined for English Language Learners

intersection

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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