Added 1 October 2026
access
/ˈæksɛs/ noun
In Latin: aditus First recorded: early 14th century Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about access at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A way or means of approaching or entering; an entrance; a passage.
The door provides access to the premises.
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The act of approaching or entering; an advance.
They gained access to the basement from the stairs.
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The right or ability of approaching or entering; admittance; admission; accessibility.
Staff prevent unauthorized access to the building.
verb
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)