# access

Pronunciation: say "AK-ses" US /ˈækˌsɛs/, UK /ˈæksɛs/

## Noun

1. The right or ability to enter or approach a place, or to make use of something.
   - Simple: The right or chance to enter a place or to use something.
   - _The pass gives visitors access to all the exhibits._
   - _Citizens demanded better access to public health services._
4. A way or means of entering or reaching a place; an entrance or passage.
   - Simple: A way to get into a place, such as a door, road, or path.
   - _The fire escape provides access to the roof._
   - _After the storm, fallen trees blocked the only access to the campground._
5. A link that allows someone to connect to and communicate with a computer program or the Internet.
   - Simple: A connection that lets you use a computer program or go online.
   - _The café offers free wireless access to its customers._
   - _Remote access lets staff log in from home._
6. The quality of being easy to approach, enter, or reach.
   - Simple: How easy it is to get into or reach a place.
   - _Planners improved access to the town center for people on foot._
   - _The lake is popular with families because of its easy access from the main highway._
7. An operation that reads data from or writes data to computer memory or another storage device.
   - Simple: An act of reading or writing data in a computer's memory or storage.
   - _A single memory access can stall the processor if the data is not cached._
   - _Reducing the number of accesses to disk improves the program's speed._
8. The right of a parent without custody to visit and spend time with their child.
   - Simple: The right of a parent who does not live with their child to visit them.
   - _The judge granted the mother supervised access to her daughter._
   - _Disputes over access frequently arise during custody hearings._
9. The act of approaching or entering; an advance toward something.
   - Simple: The act of coming up to or going into a place.
10. A sudden fit or attack, of a strong emotion or of an illness.
   - Simple: A sudden strong feeling or a sudden attack of illness that comes over someone.
   - _She was seized by an access of grief at the graveside._
   - _His generosity sprang from a momentary access of pity._

## Verb

2. To gain or obtain entry to, or use of, something.
   - Simple: To reach or get into something so that you can use it.
   - _Employees access the building using a security badge._
   - _Researchers accessed the archive only after signing a waiver._
3. To reach or retrieve data held by a computer.
   - Simple: To reach and use data stored on a computer.
   - _Only authorized programs may access this memory region._
   - _The server accesses the database each time a user logs in._

## Noun

11. An increase by addition; an accession. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: An increase made by adding something.

## Other meanings

- (noun) Sexual intercourse, or the opportunity for it, especially in legal questions about paternity.
- (noun) Agreement or assent to something; complicity in an act.

## Origin

This word came through Middle English (accesse, acces) from Middle French acces ('attack, onslaught') or its Latin source, the noun accessus ('approach'), formed from accēdō ('approach; accede'), from ad ('to, toward') plus cēdō ('move, yield'). It is a doublet of accessus, first attested in the early 14th century, with the sense 'entrance' appearing about 1380.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/access (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).