Intersects (spatial predicate)
True when two geometries share any point in common (touching or overlapping).
Category: Topology · Also known as: ST_Intersects, intersects predicate
Definition (expanded)
Intersects is the broad “do these touch at all?” predicate. It returns true for overlaps, touches, and containment cases. It’s commonly used for bounding filters and first-pass spatial joins.
Examples
PostGIS intersects
SQL
SELECT ST_Intersects(a.geom, b.geom) FROM a, b;
Related terms
Disjoint (spatial predicate)True when two geometries share no points at all (no intersection).Touches (spatial predicate)True when two geometries touch at the boundary but do not overlap in area (or interior).Overlaps (spatial predicate)True when two geometries overlap partially (they share some interior area) but neither fully contains the other.Contains (spatial predicate)True if geometry A completely contains geometry B (B is inside A, not just touching the edge).Within (spatial predicate)True if geometry A lies completely inside geometry B (the inverse of Contains).