Word

intersectionality

noun C1

UK /ɪntəˌsɛkʃəˈnælɪti/

US /ɪntɚˌsɛkʃəˈnæləti/

Meanings

noun

the idea that different aspects of identity overlap and jointly shape a person’s experiences, especially of inequality

intersectionality: the idea that different aspects of identity overlap and jointly shape a person’s experiences, especially…

noun

a framework for analyzing how multiple forms of discrimination or privilege operate together in institutions and society

intersectionality: a framework for analyzing how multiple forms of discrimination or privilege operate together in instituti…

Definition

Intersectionality is the idea that different aspects of identity combine to shape how someone experiences advantage or disadvantage.

Intersectionality explains how social categories such as race, gender, class, disability, and sexuality overlap in real life. It shows that people’s experiences are not shaped by one factor at a time, but by several interacting factors. The concept is often used to understand how systems of power and discrimination can affect people in complex, combined ways.

Examples

In her lecture, she used intersectionality to explain why a single policy can affect different communities in sharply different ways.
They applied intersectionality when evaluating the workplace survey, noticing patterns that were invisible when categories were analyzed separately.
I only began to understand intersectionality after listening to colleagues describe how multiple identities shaped their day-to-day interactions.
The journalist referenced intersectionality to frame the story without reducing the interviewees to one label.
You can use intersectionality as a lens to ask better questions about who benefits, who is burdened, and why.

Common mistake

Learners often use intersectionality to mean simple equality or general diversity, but it specifically refers to overlapping identities and interacting systems of advantage and disadvantage.