public access
Americannoun
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the availability of noncommercial television and radio broadcasting facilities to community groups or members of the public for programs of general interest to the community, especially as a condition of cable television franchises.
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a type of noncommercial programming of general interest to the community.
Other Word Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For instance, media coverage and public access to juvenile court documents are often restricted to minimise psychological harm caused by undue publicity.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The justices hear arguments behind closed doors with limited public access, with no video or live audio.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026
The expedition used the remotely operated vehicle Hercules, which recorded extensive video footage that was later archived for public access and annotated by researchers at UH Mānoa.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
But Emerald Bay is gate-guarded, accessible only to residents, and its half-mile stretch of golden sand is bordered by the cliffs of two jutting points, geographically cutting off public access via other beaches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
At a public access terminal in a Miami library, she found a cheap apartment and paid the deposit electronically.
From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.