Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Intersection has 7 different meanings across 1 category:
a point where lines intersect
"The traffic light at the intersection of Main Street and 4th Avenue turned red just as we arrived."
a junction where one street or road crosses another
"The traffic light at the intersection controlled the flow of cars from both streets."
a point or set of points common to two or more geometric configurations
"The intersection of the three circles creates a single central point shared by all of them."
the set of elements common to two or more sets
"the set of red hats is the intersection of the set of hats and the set of red things"
a representation of common ground between theories or phenomena
"there was no overlap between their proposals"
the act of intersecting (as joining by causing your path to intersect your target's path)
"The hunter timed his intersection with the deer just as it stepped onto the trail."
The junction of two (or more) paths, streets, highways, or other thoroughfares.
"The traffic light at the intersection of Main Street and 4th Avenue turned green just as we arrived."
In plain English: An intersection is where two roads meet and cross each other at the same point.
"The traffic light at that intersection turns red every thirty seconds."
Usage: Use this word to describe the physical point where roads or pathways cross each other. It is often confused with "junction," but both terms are interchangeable in everyday traffic contexts without changing meaning.
The word comes from the Old French intersection, which was borrowed directly from the Latin intersectio. It originally described an action of cutting across or meeting another line at a point.