intersectional

adjective

in·​ter·​sec·​tion·​al ˌin-tər-ˈsek-sh(ə-)nəl 

1

a

: of or relating to intersectionality

Because the intersectional experience is greater than the sum of racism and sexism, any analysis that does not take intersectionality into account cannot sufficiently address the particular manner in which Black women are subordinated.

—Kimberlé Crenshaw

b

: involving members of multiple social categories

… I was near my home, in the midst of a multiracial, multigenerational, intersectional protest. I joined hundreds of others in the streets.

—Kira Banks

2

[inter- + sectional entry 1] : existing between sections

intersectional war

an intersectional game

3

: of or relating to an intersection

intersectional joints/lines

Examples of intersectional in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An excruciating three years after its perfectly punchy first season, Nida Manzoor’s British comedy about an all-female, all-Muslim band returned with six more episodes of intersectional feminism and punk-rock fury. —Judy Berman, TIME, 23 Dec. 2024

With a passion for writing intersectional stories that feature people of color, Nieves most recently wrote and developed an adaptation of the novel What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez? —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2024

And if Alabama cancels marquee matchups, other SEC schools will assuredly follow — potentially sapping the sport of must-see intersectional duels that energize the September competition calendar. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Dec. 2024

Watson pushes for intersectional understanding and body diversity in her work. —Allen Zadoff, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1752, in the meaning defined at sense 3