access

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the act of approaching or entering

   We gained access to the building.

2. 2
   noun

   a way of entering or leaving

   They took a wrong turn on the access to the bridge.

3. 3
   verb

   to reach or gain access to

   How does one access the attic in this house?

4. 4
   verb

   to obtain or retrieve from a storage device

   I accessed my files from a remote sever.

5. 5
   noun

   A way or means of approaching or entering; an entrance; a passage.

   The door provides access to the premises.

6. 6
   noun

   The act of approaching or entering; an advance.

   They gained access to the basement from the stairs.

7. 7
   noun

   The right or ability of approaching or entering; admittance; admission; accessibility.

   Staff prevent unauthorized access to the building.

8. 8
   noun

   The quality of being easy to approach or enter.

   ease of access

Etymology

From Middle English accesse, acces, borrowed from Middle French acces (“attack, onslaught”) or from its source Latin accessus, perfect passive participle of accēdō (“approach; accede”), from ad (“to, toward, at”) + cēdō (“move, yield”). Doublet of accessus. First attested in the early 14th century. The sense "entrance" was first attested about 1380.