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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

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

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Etymology

Origin of accessible

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

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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

See Examples For:

accessible

Done well, the initiative will provide a new model for officer recruitment that makes a military career more accessible for young Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Ryan’s effort to make the Hammer more accessible inside its walls is paired with a broader commitment to supporting artists across Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

"By creating a device that can be injected rather than surgically implanted, we are making these therapies simpler, safer, and more accessible, while still maintaining precise control over nerve activity."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

The Northern Sea Route is generally more accessible during the warmer months, when reduced sea ice makes navigation easier, although ice conditions remain unpredictable and some vessels still require icebreaker assistance.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

It aspires to be both a work of art and something instantly accessible to anyone’s ear, for the sheer pleasure of it.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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Related Words

• available
• handy
• reachable
• usable

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