access
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the right or ability to enter a place or see someone.
n.the right, opportunity, or means of approaching or entering a place or person.
Simple“Only staff members have access to the laboratory after 6:00 PM.”
In context“The new security protocol ensures that only authorised personnel are granted access to the restricted archives.”
Usageusually followed by the preposition 'to'
PitfallThe students have access in the library. The students have access to the library.The noun 'access' is followed by the preposition 'to', not 'in' or 'at'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.the ability to use a service or look at information.
n.the right or opportunity to use a resource or view specific information.
Simple“Many people in the village still do not have access to clean water.”
In context“The government is working to improve public access to high-quality healthcare in rural regions.”
Usageuncountable in this sense
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a connection to the internet or a way to open computer files.
n.the process of connecting to a computer system, the internet, or specific digital data.
Simple“I lost my internet access when the storm knocked down the power lines.”
In context“The database administrator restricted access to the sensitive customer files to prevent a potential data breach.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
n.the legal right of a parent to visit their child.
n.the legal right of a non-custodial parent to spend time with their child.
Simple“The father was granted weekend access to his children after the court hearing.”
In context“The court's primary concern when determining access rights is the long-term welfare and stability of the child.”
Usageoften used in the phrase 'custody and access'
Teacher's tipThis is a technical legal term; in everyday conversation, people usually say 'visitation' or 'seeing the kids'.
Synonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to open a computer file or reach a place.
v.to gain entry to a location or to retrieve data from a computer system.
Simple“You can access your bank account online using this mobile app.”
In context“The rescue team struggled to access the remote valley due to the heavy snowfall and blocked roads.”
Usagetransitive verb; do not use 'to' after the verb
Teacher's tipRemind students that 'have access to' (noun) needs 'to', but 'access' (verb) does not.
PitfallYou can access to the files here. You can access the files here.Unlike the noun, the verb 'access' is transitive and does not take the preposition 'to'.
Usage access the original · access to the linked · access to essential
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.
First attested in 1962.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.