random access

¹ American  

noun

1. the capacity of a videodisc or compact disc player that allows the user to select and replay any portion without starting at the beginning.

2. availability, as of a service or facility, whenever needed or desired.

   an executive's need for random access to legal experts.

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random-access ² American  

[ran-duhm-ak-ses] / ˈræn dəmˈæk sɛs /

adjective

Computers.

1. direct-access.

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random access British  

noun

1. another name for direct access

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Etymology

Origin of random access

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

He expects prices for dynamic random access memory--a type of semiconductor--to weigh on the Japanese company significantly in the second half of 2026.

From MarketWatch

DRAM, or dynamic random access memory, allows a processor to store and rapidly access the data and program instructions it is actively using.

From Barron's

Research firm TrendForce expects conventional DRAM—dynamic random access memory—prices to rise between 18% and 23% in the fourth quarter.

From Barron's

This would involve using the magnetic moment of electrons instead of their charge in dynamic random access memory.

From Science Daily

In 2014, Swift’s “Red” lost the award to Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories,” and in 2022 “Evermore” lost to Batiste’s “We Are.”

From New York Times