access

verb

accessed; accessing; accesses

transitive verb

: to get at : to gain access to: such as

a

: to be able to use, enter, or get near (something)

accessed the computer by phone

a system that makes it easier to access the money in your bank account

b

: to open or load (a computer file, an Internet site, etc.)

a file that can be accessed by many users at the same time

Synonyms of access

• enter
• penetrate
• pierce

Examples of access in a Sentence

The new system makes it easier to access the money in your bank account.

Your favorite radio stations can be accessed at the touch of a button.

The file loads every time you access the website.

The file can be accessed by many users at the same time.

She could work at home by remotely accessing the company's network.

You'll need a password to access the database.

Recent Examples on the Web

People could access literature and giveaways like lip balm. —Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026

Gonzales denied that Washington was linking healthcare support to access to critical minerals. —Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 8 June 2026

Further, Siri will reportedly gain the option to access and reference your personal data, as well as your on-screen activity, to improve contextual awareness and deliver more relevant responses. —Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 8 June 2026

Children who want to access certain websites must now ask their parents for approval across Apple’s various products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers with the Safari browser. —Kif Leswing, CNBC, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

derivative of access entry 1

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing access

• access provider
• access time
• gain/get access to
• grant/deny access to
• limited-access
• public access
• random-access
• random-access memory
• remote access

Rhymes for access

• abbess
• abscess
• address
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress
• distress
• egress
• excess
• express

Kids Definition

access

1 of 2 noun

ac·​cess ˈak-ˌses 

1

: permission or power to enter, approach, or make use of

access to secret information

Internet access

2

: a way or means of approach

a nation's access to the sea

access

2 of 2 verb

: to get at : gain access to

Legal Definition

access

noun

ac·​cess ˈak-ˌses 

often attributive

1

: permission, liberty, or ability to enter, approach, communicate with, or pass to and from a place, thing, or person

public access to federal land

access to the courts

2

: opportunity for sexual intercourse

3

: a landowner's legal right to pass from his or her land to a highway and to return without being obstructed

4

: freedom or ability to obtain, make use of, or participate in something

the right to equal treatment holds with respect to a limited set of interests — like voting — and demands that every person have the same access to these interests

—L. H. Tribe

5

a

: a way by which a thing or place may be approached or reached

b

: passage to and from a place

provide a means of access to the land

6

: opportunity to view or copy a copyrighted work