junction
gb/d͡ʒˈʌŋkʃən/ us/d͡ʒˈʌŋkʃən/
B2
English
~ 6300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
place where roads or rails meet
A place where two or more roads or train tracks meet or cross.
Usage pattern:
at the junction of [road/line A] and [road/line B]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "junction" with "crossroad" or "corner". A junction is where roads meet or cross; a corner is where two lines or walls form an angle, and a crossroads is a special type of junction with roads crossing each other.
Synonyms
intersection (More common in everyday American English for road crossings; slightly more general and not limited to transport.)
Antonyms
dead end (A road that stops and does not connect to another road, opposite of a meeting point of roads.)
Collocations
road junction
|traffic junction
|busy junction
|major junction
|railway junction
|at the junction
Themes
transport
|daily life
|travel
|transportation
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- There was a long queue of cars at the junction after the traffic lights failed.
- Turn left at the next junction and follow the signs to the city center.
- The accident happened at a busy junction near the motorway.
- This station is an important rail junction linking three major cities.
- They built a new bridge at the junction of the main road and the ring road.
Learner examples
- There is a traffic light at the junction.
- We met at the junction of the two main roads.
- Be careful when you cross the junction.
- The bus stops just after the junction.
- This town grew around a big railway junction.
Noun
C1
entity
2
meeting point of physical structures
The place where two or more things like rivers, borders, pipes, or cables meet or join.
Usage pattern:
the junction of [thing A] and [thing B]
Common mistake:
Learners may use "corner" instead of "junction" for rivers or borders. "Corner" is usually for sharp angles in rooms, streets, or objects, while "junction" is for places where continuous things join, like rivers, lines, or pipes.
Synonyms
meeting point (More general and informal; can be used for people as well as physical structures.)
Antonyms
separation (Describes things being apart rather than coming together at a single point.)
Collocations
river junction
|at the junction of
|pipe junction
|cable junction
|boundary junction
Themes
geography
|science
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The town lies at the junction of two major rivers.
- This monument marks the junction of the three country borders.
- The leak was traced to a faulty junction between two sections of pipe.
- Engineers inspected the cable junction for signs of overheating.
- The park is located at the junction of the old city walls and the modern ring road.
Learner examples
- The city stands at the junction of two big rivers.
- There is a small island at the river junction.
- The problem is at the junction of the two pipes.
- A stone shows the junction of the two countries.
- We walked to the junction of the old road and the new road.
Noun
formal
C1
relation
3
meeting point of ideas or fields
A place or point where different types of work, study, or ideas come together and influence each other.
Usage pattern:
at the junction of [field A] and [field B]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse "between" and not recognize that "at the junction of" focuses on the point where areas meet and mix, not just that two things exist side by side.
Synonyms
intersection (Very common in academic and formal writing for overlapping fields or ideas; slightly broader and more frequent than "junction" in this abstract sense.)
Antonyms
division (Focuses on separation or clear difference between fields or ideas rather than their coming together.)
Collocations
at the junction of
|sit at the junction of
|cultural junction
|historical junction
Themes
academia
|society
|education
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her research sits at the junction of computer science and psychology.
- The city has always been a cultural junction between East and West.
- This policy was developed at the junction of economic necessity and social pressure.
- The novel explores life at the junction of tradition and modernity.
- The company operates at the junction of technology and healthcare.
Learner examples
- The project is at the junction of art and science.
- He works at the junction of law and business.
- This town is a cultural junction between north and south.
- The show stands at the junction of music and theatre.
- The problem is at the junction of money and politics.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
4
boundary between semiconductor regions
In electronics, the place inside a device where two different parts of a semiconductor touch and special electric effects happen.
Usage pattern:
a [type] junction in [device]
Synonyms
interface (General technical term for a surface where two materials or systems meet; less specific than "junction" in semiconductor physics.)
Antonyms
gap (In electronics, suggests a space with no direct physical or conductive contact, the opposite of a contact region like a junction.)
Collocations
p-n junction
|semiconductor junction
|junction voltage
|diode junction
|junction temperature
Themes
science
|technology
Examples
- The behavior of the p-n junction determines the basic operation of the diode.
- Excessive heat can damage the junction inside the transistor.
- Engineers measured the junction temperature to prevent failure of the power device.
- The solar cell’s efficiency depends largely on the quality of its internal junctions.
- A Josephson junction consists of two superconductors separated by a thin insulating barrier.
Learner examples
- The p-n junction is an important part of a diode.
- Heat at the junction can break the device.
- Current flows across the junction when the diode is on.
- In a solar cell, light creates charges near the junction.
- The chip has many tiny junctions inside it.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
5
connection point between body parts or cells
In biology, the place where two parts of the body or two cells meet and connect with each other.
Usage pattern:
a [type] junction between [structures]
Synonyms
connection (Very general term; does not specifically suggest the specialized biological structure that "junction" does.)
Antonyms
separation (Refers to parts being apart rather than structurally joined or connected.)
Collocations
neuromuscular junction
|cell junction
|gastroesophageal junction
|gap junction
|tight junction
Themes
science
|health
|body
Examples
- The toxin acts at the neuromuscular junction, causing paralysis.
- Gap junctions allow small molecules to pass directly between neighboring cells.
- Inflammation was observed around the gastroesophageal junction.
- Tight junctions help maintain the barrier function of the intestinal lining.
- Damage to the neuromuscular junction can lead to muscle weakness.
Learner examples
- A nerve meets a muscle at the neuromuscular junction.
- Gap junctions let cells share small signals.
- Food passes through the gastroesophageal junction into the stomach.
- Tight junctions keep the cells close together.
- The disease changes the junction between the nerve and the muscle.
Grammar
Dictionary form
junction
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈʌŋkʃən/
US/d͡ʒˈʌŋkʃən/
Syllables & stress
junc - tion (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (junc)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: junction
- Plural: junction, junctions
Word family
Forms
junctions
noun
Related words
adjoin
verb C1
conjunction
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
disjointed
adjective
disjunction
noun
Advanced or less common
juncture
noun C1
conjunctive
adjective
Expressions
at the junction of
1/ˈæt ðə d͡ʒˈʌŋkʃən əv/
fixed phrase
located where things meet
In the place where two or more things, such as roads, rivers, borders, or fields, meet.
Examples
- The café stands at the junction of two quiet side streets.
- The village lies at the junction of three valleys.
- Their house is at the junction of the old road and the highway.
junction box
1/d͡ʒˈʌŋkʃən bˈɑks/
fixed phrase
technical
box where electrical wires meet
A box that protects and hides the place where electrical wires join.
Examples
- The electrician opened the junction box to check the wiring.
- Any new lights must be connected through the existing junction box.
neuromuscular junction
1/nˈʊɹoʊməskjəlɚ d͡ʒˈʌŋkʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
connection between nerve and muscle
The place where a nerve that controls movement meets a muscle cell.
Examples
- The drug blocks signals at the neuromuscular junction.
- Many autoimmune diseases affect the neuromuscular junction and cause weakness.
railway junction
1/ɹˈeɪlwˌeɪ d͡ʒˈʌŋkʃən/
fixed phrase
place where rail lines meet
A place where two or more train tracks meet or go in different directions.
Examples
- The town grew quickly after a railway junction was built nearby.
- Trains are often delayed at the busy railway junction outside the city.
road junction
1/ɹˈoʊd d͡ʒˈʌŋkʃən/
fixed phrase
place where roads meet
A place where two or more roads meet or cross each other.
Examples
- There is often heavy traffic at this road junction in the morning.
- A new roundabout was built at the main road junction to improve safety.