access

American  

[ak-ses] / ˈæk sɛs /

noun

• accesses
  plural

1. the ability, right, or permission to approach, enter, speak with, or use; admittance.

   They have access to the files.

2. a way or means of approach.

   The only access to the house was a rough dirt road.

3. the state or quality of being approachable.

   Located deep in the woods on an island with no dock, the cabin was difficult of access.

4. Theology. approach to God through Jesus Christ.

5. an attack or onset, as of a disease or symptom.

   Some influenza patients experience attacks for many weeks after the primary access.

   In a violent access of coughing I fractured one of my ribs.

6. a sudden, strong burst of emotion.

   In an access of clumsy tenderness, he tried to dry the tears that trembled on her eyelashes.

7. accession.

8. public-access television.

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verb (used with object)

• accesses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• accessed,
  past participle,  past
• accessing
  present participle

1. to make contact with or gain access to; be able to reach, approach, enter, etc..

   Bank customers can access their checking accounts instantly through the online portal.

2. Computers. (of a program or system component) to retrieve (data) for use by another program or application or for transfer from one part of the system to another.

   This key enables other applications to access data from within the event management system even if you aren't logged in.

adjective

1. Television. (of programming, time, etc.) available to the public.

   Six channels now offer access services.

access British  

/ ˈæksɛs /

noun

1. the act of approaching or entering

2. the condition of allowing entry, esp (of a building or room) allowing entry by wheelchairs, prams, etc

3. the right or privilege to approach, reach, enter, or make use of something

4. a way or means of approach or entry

5. the opportunity or right to see or approach someone

   she fights for divorce and free access to her children

6. (modifier) designating programmes made by the general public as distinguished from those made by professional broadcasters

   access television

7. a sudden outburst or attack, as of rage or disease

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verb

1. to gain access to; make accessible or available

2. (tr) computing

   1. to obtain or retrieve (information) from a storage device

   2. to place (information) in a storage device See also direct access sequential access

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preaccess
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• accesses
  plural

Participles

• accessing
  present
• accessed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• access
  simple
• accesses
  simple
• have accessed
  perfect
• has accessed
  perfect
• am accessing
  progressive
• are accessing
  progressive
• is accessing
  progressive
• have been accessing
  perfect progressive
• has been accessing
  perfect progressive

Past

• accessed
  simple
• had accessed
  perfect
• was accessing
  progressive
• were accessing
  progressive
• had been accessing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will access
  simple
• will have accessed
  perfect
• will be accessing
  progressive
• will have been accessing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of access

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English accesse, from Old French acces or directly from Latin accessus “an approach,” equivalent to acced-, variant stem of accēdere “to accede ” + -tus suffix of verb action

Explanation

Most libraries provide computers you can use to access the Internet. If chemicals are being stolen from a lab, you might ask who has access to the lab. Access is approaching or making use of something, or the ability to do so Sometimes the word is applied to a person. If you work in the same room as your boss, you might have easy access to her. A really good boss will work hard to make herself accessible to her employees. Access is from Middle English, from Middle French acces "arrival," from Latin accessus "an approach," from accedere "to approach."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

access accesses accessed accessing

"They promise citizenship; access to public benefits; and short-term stays in specialised facilities, hotels, or rentals, but often fail to deliver on these promises," the order says.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

For people who live in an area with access to fiber, cable or 5G fixed-wireless internet, Starlink is a tough financial sell.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

To get access to military training ranges, companies must find and schedule with the specific range.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

NHS Tayside said it was "investigating the circumstances" of the alleged breach that happened in a clinical area where staff access patient information.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

Visitors and copyists had extraordinary access to the paintings, and they could sit with a work all day almost undisturbed.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

In reality, as Slater notes, the demographics of who accesses psychotherapy show that the issue is often a matter of access, not will.

From Salon ● May 18, 2026

Doing so accesses the car’s maximum torque of over 1,000 Newton-meters—793 lb-ft.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026

"Trimingham beach is a really remote location and there aren't any nearby beach accesses so they were put there to move things around like concrete, steel sheet piles and timber."

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2024

“For us, it accesses a whole new market and really drives a tremendous amount of new reach that we weren’t servicing before,” said Murdoch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2024

We all have our occasional accesses of folly.

From Mortal Coils by Huxley, Aldous

It reviewed thousands of evaluations where Claude could have accessed the internet from within or while interacting with third parties.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

As part of his IPT case, MI5 did not reveal why it unlawfully accessed his communications data.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Among the examples cited by the task force was the case of French programmer Sammy Azdoufal, who reportedly accessed data from thousands of robotic vacuum cleaners made by Chinese manufacturer DJI.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

The regulator said minors’ private accounts could also be accessed through other users’ follower lists and that TikTok’s settings expose young people to cyberbullying and unwanted contact.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

So I put together a dapper outfit—maybe a little too dapper, but if what I’ve accessed about Dawn is true, I know she’ll appreciate it.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

The time restriction would be enabled by default settings on social media accounts for children aged 16 and 17, preventing them from accessing social media sites between midnight and 6:00 am.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

Handala previously was accused of accessing some personal details and emails by FBI Director Kash Patel in the early days of the Iran war.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

She understands that children in dense districts face some of the steepest challenges to accessing outdoor play.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

What the API’s buyers get is the advantage of accessing those posts instantaneously, rather than waiting for them to percolate into the marketplace.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

It doesn’t take much accessing to know he left just after the youngest daughter was born, and it’s been a struggle for their mom ever since.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

Related Words

• approach
• connection
• entry