crossroad

noun

cross·​road ˈkrȯs-ˌrōd 

 also  -ˈrōd

1

: a road that crosses a main road or runs cross-country between main roads

2

usually crossroads ˈkrȯs-ˌrōdz 

 also  -ˈrōdz

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

a

: the place of intersection of two or more roads

b(1)

: a small community located at such a crossroads

(2)

: a central meeting place

c

: a crucial point especially where a decision must be made

Synonyms

• carrefour
• corner
• crossing
• crossway(s)
• intersection
• junction

Examples of crossroad in a Sentence

Traffic was stopped at the crossroad.

We turned onto a crossroad.

Recent Examples on the Web

The strategic island is at a territorial crossroads, as the U.S., China and Russia race to control the melting Arctic region. —Liz Friden, Fox News, 9 Jan. 2025

The two men hit a crossroads during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, in which Trump pressured Mike Pence to reject electoral votes from certain states that President Joe Biden won. —Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025

At this crossroads, social media's broad retreat from content moderation suggests where the tech industry's collective head is at. —Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025

Few places better illustrated the city’s current crossroads: Hip cafés serving lattes to diplomats and businesspeople stood beside outdoor stalls where vendors still roasted and sold traditional Ethiopian coffee to passersby. —Samuel Getachew, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

crossroad

noun

cross·​road ˈkrȯs-ˌrōd 

-ˈrōd

1

: a road that crosses a main road or runs across country between main roads

2

a

: a place where roads cross

—usually used in plural

b

: a small community at a crossroads

3

: a place or time at which a decision must be made