intersectionality

/ɪntəˌsɛkʃəˈnælɪti/

//ɪntəˌsɛkʃəˈnælɪti// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"intersectionality" is a 17-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“intersectionality” is uncommon English (frequency #56,201 among 17,902 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,201
frequency rank, English
17,902
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The quality or state of being intersectional, that is, of being characterized by intersection (especially of multiple forms of discrimination).

Corpus desk

Index EN-intersectionality · intersectionality · English

intersectionality · rank #56,201 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #56,201
  • LEN-MEGA 17 letters
  • VOW-8 8 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 17,902
  • PHOTO-FINISH international…

Nearest frequency peer: internationalism (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “intersectionality”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “intersectionality” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for intersectionality
PropertyValue
Headwordintersectionality
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪntəˌsɛkʃəˈnælɪti/
Letters17
Frequency rank#56,201
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “intersectionality” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). intersectionality lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

intersectionality is uncommon English at frequency #56,201 among 17,902 “I” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɪntəˌsɛkʃəˈnælɪti/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for intersectionality, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From intersectional + -ity. The correct English form is intersectionality, spelled I-N-T-E-R-S-E-C-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality or state of being intersectional, that is, of being characterized by intersection (especially of multiple forms of discrimination).
  2. 2
    The study of (or a sociological methodology of studying) overlapping or intersecting social identities and related systems of oppression, domination, or discrimination.

Etymology

From intersectional + -ity.

Synonyms

cross-sectionality

This word in other languages

interseccionalidad(Español)intersectionnalité(Français)Intersektionalität(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "intersectionality"?
"intersectionality" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-S-E-C-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪntəˌsɛkʃəˈnælɪti/.
What does "intersectionality" mean?
As a noun, "intersectionality" means: The quality or state of being intersectional, that is, of being characterized by intersection (especially of multiple forms of discrimination).
How do you pronounce "intersectionality"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intersectionality" is /ɪntəˌsɛkʃəˈnælɪti/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "intersectionality"?
From intersectional + -ity. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "intersectionality", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 17 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

superconductivity#54,516biopharmaceutical#57,895conceptualization#54,088immunosuppressive#60,175
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list