access

/ˌækˈsɛs/

/ˈæksɛs/

Other forms: accessed; accessing; accesses

Most libraries provide computers you can use to access the Internet. If chemicals are being stolen from a lab, you might ask who has access to the lab. Access is approaching or making use of something, or the ability to do so

Sometimes the word is applied to a person. If you work in the same room as your boss, you might have easy access to her. A really good boss will work hard to make herself accessible to her employees. Access is from Middle English, from Middle French acces "arrival," from Latin accessus "an approach," from accedere "to approach."

Definitions of access

1. noun

   the right to enter
   synonyms: accession, admission, admittance, entree

   types:

   door

   anything providing a means of access (or escape)

   open door

   freedom of access

   type of:

   right

   an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature
2. noun

   the act of approaching or entering
   “he gained access to the building”

   types:

   back door, backdoor

   a secret or underhand means of access (to a place or a position)

   type of:

   approach, approaching, coming

   the act of drawing spatially closer to something
3. noun

   a way of entering or leaving
   “he took a wrong turn on the access to the bridge”

   synonyms: approach

   types:

   entrance, entranceway, entree, entry, entryway

   something that provides access (to get in or get out)

   arch, archway

   a passageway under a curved masonry construction

   door, doorway, room access, threshold

   the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

   gateway

   an entrance that can be closed by a gate

   hatchway, opening, scuttle

   an entrance equipped with a hatch; especially a passageway between decks of a ship

   pithead

   the entrance to a coal mine

   portal

   a grand and imposing entrance (often extended metaphorically)

   porte-cochere

   a carriage entrance passing through a building to an enclosed courtyard

   servant's entrance, service door, service entrance

   an entrance intended for the use of servants or for delivery of goods and removal of refuse

   stage door

   an entrance to the backstage area of theater; used by performers and other theater personnel

   vomitory

   an entrance to an amphitheater or stadium

   type of:

   way

   any artifact consisting of a road or path affording passage from one place to another
4. verb

   reach or gain access to
   “How does one access the attic in this house?”

   synonyms: get at

   type of:

   arrive at, attain, gain, hit, make, reach

   reach a destination, either real or abstract
5. noun

   the right to obtain or make use of or take advantage of something (as services or membership)
   type of:

   right

   an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature
6. noun

   a code (a series of characters or digits) that must be entered in some way (typed or dialed or spoken) to get the use of something (a telephone line or a computer or a local area network etc.)
   synonyms: access code

   types:

   back door, backdoor

   an undocumented way to get access to a computer system or the data it contains

   type of:

   code

   a coding system used for transmitting messages requiring brevity or secrecy
7. noun

   (computer science) the operation of reading or writing stored information
   synonyms: memory access

   types:

   disk access

   memory access to the computer disk on which information is stored

   type of:

   operation

   (computer science) data processing in which the result is completely specified by a rule (especially the processing that results from a single instruction)
8. verb

   obtain or retrieve from a storage device; as of information on a computer
   types:

   address

   access or locate by address

   log in, log on, log-in

   enter a computer

   type of:

   find, recover, regain, retrieve

   get or find back; recover the use of