access

1 of 2

noun

ac·​cess ˈak-ˌses 

also

ik-ˈses 

1

a

: permission, liberty, or ability to enter, approach, or pass to and from a place or to approach or communicate with a person or thing

Investigators wanted to get access to his home.

consultants who have easy access to the president

b

: freedom or ability to obtain or make use of something

paying for access to the Internet

c

: a way or means of entering or approaching

A canal provides access to the river.

a building that provides wheelchair access [=a way for people in wheelchairs to enter]

d

: the act or an instance of accessing something

2

a

: onset sense 2

an access of illness

b

: a fit of intense feeling : outburst

If it had been in Tito's nature to feel an access of rage, he would have felt it against this bull-faced accomplice.

—George Eliot

3

: an increase by addition

a sudden access of wealth

access

2 of 2

verb

accessed; accessing; accesses

transitive verb

: to get at : to gain access to: such as

a

: to be able to use, enter, or get near (something)

accessed the computer by phone

a system that makes it easier to access the money in your bank account

b

: to open or load (a computer file, an Internet site, etc.)

a file that can be accessed by many users at the same time

Synonyms

Noun

• attack
• bout
• case
• fit
• seizure
• siege
• spell
• turn

Verb

• enter
• penetrate
• pierce

Examples of access in a Sentence

Noun

We have Internet access at the library.

a sudden access of hay fever was making him feel miserable

Verb

The new system makes it easier to access the money in your bank account.

Your favorite radio stations can be accessed at the touch of a button.

The file loads every time you access the website.

The file can be accessed by many users at the same time.

She could work at home by remotely accessing the company's network.

You'll need a password to access the database.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Such investigations can take weeks and states generally don't have access to complaints until federal investigators finish an inquiry, state regulators complained during the NAIC meetings. —Julie Appleby, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024

From his desk, Rizzo has access to the feeds of nearly three hundred surveillance cameras around the city, most of which were installed after Tisch entered office. —Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "entrance, approach, attack of illness, fever, lovesickness," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French acces "attack of illness," (Old French also "liberty to approach"), borrowed from Latin accessus "approach, means of entry, right of approach, onset (of fever or illness)," action noun derived from accēdere "to approach" — more at accede

Verb

derivative of access entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

1953, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing access

• access provider
• access time
• gain/get access to
• random-access memory
• remote access
• grant/deny access to
• random-access
• public access
• limited-access

Kids Definition

access

1 of 2 noun

ac·​cess ˈak-ˌses 

1

: permission or power to enter, approach, or make use of

access to secret information

Internet access

2

: a way or means of approach

a nation's access to the sea

access

2 of 2 verb

: to get at : gain access to

Legal Definition

access

noun

ac·​cess ˈak-ˌses 

often attributive

1

: permission, liberty, or ability to enter, approach, communicate with, or pass to and from a place, thing, or person

public access to federal land

access to the courts

2

: opportunity for sexual intercourse

3

: a landowner's legal right to pass from his or her land to a highway and to return without being obstructed

4

: freedom or ability to obtain, make use of, or participate in something

the right to equal treatment holds with respect to a limited set of interests — like voting — and demands that every person have the same access to these interests

—L. H. Tribe

5

a

: a way by which a thing or place may be approached or reached

b

: passage to and from a place

provide a means of access to the land

6

: opportunity to view or copy a copyrighted work