Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense accesses, present participle accessing, past tense, past participle accessed
1. uncountable noun
If you have accessto a building or other place, you are able or allowed to go into it.
The facilities have been adapted to give access to wheelchair users. [+ to]
Scientists have only recently been able to gain access to the area. [+ to]
The Mortimer Hotel offers easy access to central London. [+ to]
Synonyms: admission, entry, passage, entrée More Synonyms of access
2. uncountable noun
If you have accessto something such as information or equipment, you have the opportunity or right to see it or use it.
...a Code of Practice that would give patients right of access to their medical records. [+ to]
Consultant-led teams will have access to the latest equipment.
3. uncountable noun
If you have accessto a person, you have the opportunity or right to see them or meet them.
He was not allowed access to a lawyer. [+ to]
He had direct access to the Prime Minister.
4. verb
If you access something, especially information held on a computer, you succeed in finding or obtaining it.
You've illegally accessed and misused confidential security files. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: acquire, get, gather, obtain More Synonyms of access
More Synonyms of access
access in British English
(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
I was denied access to my 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
verb
8.
to gain access to; make accessible or available
9. (transitive) computing
a.
to obtain or retrieve (information) from a storage device
b.
to place (information) in a storage device
See also direct access, sequential access
Word origin
C14: from Old French or from Latin accessus an approach, from accēdere to accede
access in American English
(ˈækˌsɛs)
noun
1.
the act of coming toward or near to; approach
2.
a way or means of approaching, getting, using, etc.
3.
the right to enter, approach, or use; admittance
4.
increase or growth
5.
an outburst; paroxysm
an access of anger
verb transitive
6.
to gain or have access to; esp., to retrieve data from, or add data to, a database
branch officials can access the central database
Word origin
ME & OFr acces < L accessus, pp. of accedere, accede
COBUILD Collocations
access
broadband access
disabled access
full access
gain access
patient access
quick access
unfettered access
universal access
unrestricted access
Examples of 'access' in a sentence
access
Patients will also be able to download medical records to access information such as test results.
The Sun (2016)
Businesses and consumers say the smartphone has become the primary device they use to access the internet.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
They need access to the right help so they can rebuild their lives.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Three bases over the week give you access to the best bits.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
He said staff could not access their computer systems to see which passengers had gone through security.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He says all he wants is an apartment with an easy access garage.
The Sun (2016)
The police gave us a crime number but it emerged the burglars gained access by using a front door key.
The Sun (2016)
We have called for urgent humanitarian access to besieged areas and have urged the government to establish a no-fly zone.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
All the equipment worn and carried by police officers is essential for their safety, and accessing this equipment beneath a burka would be impossible.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Supposedly, it would give us a better room and access to the deluxe pool, reserved only for those in our wing.
The Sun (2016)
The principal concern is about access to information.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The officer admitted illegally accessing police files to track down the third woman and another woman.
The Sun (2009)
Voucher does not give preferential right of access.
The Sun (2013)
Regular passengers have priority access to waiting rooms and discounts on tickets.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It was unclear whether investigators would have access to areas where the attacks took place.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
That is part of the deal under which governments give it access.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Look for networks with protected access and use websites with secure connections.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Other subsidiaries hire out vehicles and access equipment.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The government was considering new ways to target groups with poor access to computers.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The assessments are expensive and gaining access to them can be difficult.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
That presumes easy access to the most sensitive nuclear sites and a quick and efficient verification system.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Users can put in place screen locks and other security mechanisms to stop strangers accessing personal devices.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We must do more to spread opportunity and improve access to good quality public services.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
How can these things be delivered in ways that are simple to access and universally available?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
People are picked up for any excuse and held for weeks without information or access to lawyers.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
These proposals will not harm the right to access to justice enjoyed by all citizens.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It can also restrict access to areas of the school.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Only patients who can pay have been given access.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
All rooms have access to an outdoor hot tub and are connected to the main building by glass walkways.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But charities said yesterday that diabetics may be denied free access to the equipment after a government consultation on funding.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
And for the really tricky issues, advisers can use remote access to make changes to the settings on your computer.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In other languages
access
British English: access /ˈæksɛs/ NOUN
If you have access to a building or other place, you are able to go into it.
...unlimited access to the swimming pool.
American English: access
Arabic: وُصُول
Brazilian Portuguese: acesso
Chinese: 通道
Croatian: pristup
Czech: přístup
Danish: adgang
Dutch: toegang
European Spanish: acceso
Finnish: pääsy
French: accès
German: Zugang
Greek: πρόσβαση
Italian: accesso
Japanese: 接近
Korean: 접근
Norwegian: tilgang
Polish: dostęp
European Portuguese: acesso
Romanian: acces
Russian: доступ
Latin American Spanish: acceso
Swedish: tillträde
Thai: ทางเข้า
Turkish: giriş geçiş
Ukrainian: доступ
Vietnamese: được phép vào
British English: access /ˈæksɛs/ VERB
If you access something, especially information held on a computer, you succeed in finding or obtaining it.
You've illegally accessed and misused confidential security files.
American English: access
Arabic: يَتَوَصَّلُ إِلى
Brazilian Portuguese: acessar
Chinese: 出入
Croatian: pristupiti
Czech: získat data z počítače
Danish: skaffe sig adgang til
Dutch: openen
European Spanish: acceder
Finnish: päästä sisään
French: accéder à
German: zugreifen auf
Greek: προσπελαύνω
Italian: accedere
Japanese: アクセスする
Korean: 접속하다
Norwegian: få tilgang til
Polish: uzyskać dostęp uzyskiwać dostęp
European Portuguese: aceder
Romanian: a accesa
Russian: получить доступ
Latin American Spanish: acceder
Swedish: komma åt
Thai: เข้าถึง
Turkish: erişmek geçiş sağlamak
Ukrainian: мати доступ
Vietnamese: tiếp cận
All related terms of 'access'
access code
a sequence of characters that allows the user access to a secure area or to a secure system
access land
(in England and Wales ) areas of the countryside which are open to the public
access road
An access road is a road which enables traffic to reach a particular place or area.
access time
Access time is the time that is needed to get information that is stored in a computer .
deck-access
(of a block of flats) having a continuous inset balcony at each level onto which the front door of each flat on that level opens
full access
If you have access to something such as information or equipment, you have the opportunity or right to see it or use it.
gain access
If you have access to a building or other place, you are able or allowed to go into it.
open access
If you have access to something such as information or equipment , you have the opportunity or right to see it or use it.
self-access
In a school or college , a self-access centre is a place where students can choose and use books, tapes , or other materials.
access charge
a fee charged to long-distance telephone companies and their customers by a local telephone company for use of its lines
access course
An access course is an educational course which prepares adults with few or no qualifications for study at a university or other place of higher education.
access point
the hub that links wireless devices to a network or to the internet
access radio
radio programmes made by the general public as distinguished from those made by professional broadcasters
access visit
a visit that a divorced parent makes to see a child who does not live with him or her
direct access
a method of reading data from a computer file without reading through the file from the beginning as on a disk or drum
quick access
If you have access to something such as information or equipment , you have the opportunity or right to see it or use it.
random access
designating or of a volatile memory that allows data to be accessed directly and does not require following a sequence of storage locations
remote access
Remote access is a system which allows you to gain access to a particular computer or network using a separate computer.
access provider
internet access provider: a company that provides organizations or individuals with access to the internet
disabled access
If you have access to a building or other place, you are able or allowed to go into it.
instant access
the ability or access to withdraw (money from a bank ) whenever needed
internet access
access to the internet for a computer or other device
patient access
If you have access to something such as information or equipment, you have the opportunity or right to see it or use it.
access information
Information about someone or something consists of facts about them.
access programme
a television or radio programme made by the general public as distinguished from one made by professional broadcasters
access television
television programmes made by the general public as distinguished from those made by professional broadcasters
broadband access
If you have access to something such as information or equipment, you have the opportunity or right to see it or use it.
conditional access
the encryption of television programme transmissions so that only authorized subscribers with suitable decoding apparatus may have access to them
sequential access
a method of reaching and reading data from a computer file by reading through the file from the beginning
unfettered access
If you have access to a building or other place, you are able or allowed to go into it.
universal access
If you have access to something such as information or equipment, you have the opportunity or right to see it or use it.
access a network
A particular network is a system of things which are connected and which operate together. For example , a computer network consists of a number of computers that are part of the same system.
unrestricted access
If you have access to something such as information or equipment , you have the opportunity or right to see it or use it.
direct memory access
a process in which data may be moved directly to or from the main memory of a computer system by operations not under the control of the central processing unit
random access memory
random access memory : semiconductor memory in which all storage locations can be rapidly accessed in the same amount of time. It forms the main memory of a computer, used by applications to perform tasks while the device is operating
internet access provider
internet access provider: a company that provides organizations or individuals with access to the internet
limited access highway
→ expressway
public access television
television in which local producers or individuals can participate
high-speed downlink packet access
a technology that allows high-speed downloads to mobile telephones