crossroads

IPA/ˈkrɒsrəʊdz/
KK[krˈɔsrˌodz]IPA/ˈkrɔːsrəʊdz/

crossroads — noun

  • crossroadssingular
  • crossroadsesplural

1. the place where roads cross, letting traffic continue in different directions

1.nounB2
Definition

the place where roads cross, letting traffic continue in different directions

Example

We waited at the crossroads until Bilal's bus came from the east.

at the crossroads: physical junction

A small shop stands at the crossroads near the rice fields.

Common collocations
  • busy crossroads
  • dangerous crossroads
  • wait at the crossroads
  • turn at the crossroads
Synonyms
  • intersection

    more neutral and common in traffic or city-planning language

  • junction

    slightly broader and can refer to rail lines as well as roads

  • crossing

    often stresses the act or point of crossing, not the whole junction area

Antonyms
  • dead end

    a road end where you cannot continue in another direction

Grammar Patterns

at the crossroads

turn left at the crossroads

Usage Note

Usually names a real road junction. Distinguish from sense 2, which is figurative and refers to a big choice rather than a place.

Common Mistakes

Turn right at the crossroad.
Turn right at the crossroads.
Even when talking about one junction, this word is usually written as 'crossroads'.

2. a stage in life or in a plan where you must choose which way to go next

2.nounC1
Definition

a stage in life or in a plan where you must choose which way to go next

Example

After graduation, Paloma felt she was at a crossroads.

at a crossroads: major life choice

The company is at a crossroads after losing its biggest client.

Common collocations
  • at a crossroads
  • career crossroads
  • political crossroads
  • reach a crossroads
Synonyms
  • turning point

    focuses on change in direction; it does not always imply a deliberate choice

  • decision point

    more direct and practical, often used in business or planning

  • watershed

    more formal and usually used when a moment later proves historically important

Grammar Patterns

at a crossroads

reach a crossroads

come to a crossroads

Usage Note

Most often appears in the pattern at a crossroads. It suggests that different futures are possible and a real choice cannot be delayed.

Common Mistakes

My printer is at a crossroads because it is broken.
My career is at a crossroads because I must choose between two jobs.
This sense is about a major choice, not just any problem.

3. a tiny community that grew up around a road junction

3.nounC2
Definition

a tiny community that grew up around a road junction

Example

Christopher grew up in a dusty crossroads with one church and a cafe.

crossroads = tiny settlement

The bus stopped at a crossroads that had only three houses.

Common collocations
  • sleepy crossroads
  • rural crossroads
  • dusty crossroads
  • crossroads community
Synonyms
  • hamlet

    a very small village, often the closest everyday equivalent

  • settlement

    broader and can describe communities of many different sizes

  • village

    more common and less tied to a road junction

Antonyms
  • city

    a much larger and more developed place to live

Usage Note

Mostly seen in older, regional, or historical writing. In everyday speech, people usually say village, hamlet, or settlement instead.

Common Mistakes

They moved to a crossroads outside the city.
They moved to a small village outside the city.
This sense is not the normal everyday word for any small place where people live.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

For noun/2, crossroads suggests a moment when more than one future is open and someone must choose a direction. Turning point is broader: it can describe any moment after which things change, even if no one actively decides. Decision point is more direct and practical, so it fits plans, projects, and business discussions. Watershed is more formal and is often used after the fact for a moment later seen as historically important. If a student must choose between moving abroad, staying home, or changing careers, crossroads sounds natural. A coach discussing the exact play that changed a match is more likely to say turning point.

turning pointdecision pointwatershed ↗

Etymology

English

Crossroads is a compound formed in English from cross and road. It first named the place where roads meet, and later extended to the figurative sense of a moment when different directions are possible and a choice matters.