accessible

American  

[ak-ses-uh-buhl, ik-] / ækˈsɛs ə bəl, ɪk- /

adjective

1. easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with, or use.

2. able to be used, entered, reached, etc..

   an accessible road; accessible Mayan ruins.

3. suitable for disabled people to reach, enter, or use, as a result of design modifications: modified controllers to make video games accessible.

   wheelchair-accessible vans;

   modified controllers to make video games accessible.

4. readily understandable.

   Students may believe that poetry is not accessible because of its metaphorical language.

5. obtainable; attainable.

   accessible evidence.

6. open to the influence of (usually followed byto ).

   accessible to bribery.

---

accessible British  

/ əkˈsɛsəbəl /

adjective

1. easy to approach, enter, use, or understand

2. likely to be affected by; open to; susceptible to

3. obtainable; available

4. easy for disabled people to enter or use

5. logic (of a possible world) surveyable from some other world so that the truth value of statements about it can be known. A statement possibly p is true in a world W if and only if p is true in some worlds accessible to W

---

Other Word Forms

• accessibility noun
• accessibly adverb
• nonaccessible adjective
• preaccessible adjective
• unaccessible adjective
• unaccessibly adverb

Etymology

Origin of accessible

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, Middle French, from Late Latin accessibilis; access, -ible

Explanation

Accessible can mean easy to get to. If the mall is easily accessible, you might be tempted to spend a lot of money on your lunch breaks. The "within reach" definition of the adjective accessible does not just refer to physical distance. A person can be accessible if they are approachable and friendly. A celebrity that is accessible probably signs a lot of autographs and grants interviews. The word can also describe something that is easily understood. You might need to read a plot summary of a long convoluted novel — to make it more accessible or easy to follow.

Example Sentences

"There are many brainwave technologies and research all over the world, but most of them are very expensive and not accessible to everyone," Dentsu Lab chief creative officer Naoki Tanaka told the BBC.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

"With more research, we may discover natural compounds that make today's cancer therapies more effective and accessible."

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

The plane, which was en route to the island, crashed on landing around 12:20 p.m. in Avalon in a rugged, not easily accessible area, prompting an emergency response from the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Much like Hogan’s mansion—which occupies three stories—the cottage property backs right onto the beach, with a charming white picket fence added to separate the dwelling from the publicly accessible area.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Aside from the stairwell, that was the only part of the building still accessible; the other floors were all frozen shut, walls of ice clogging their rooms and hallways.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

Related Words

• available
• handy
• reachable
• usable