ac·cess / ˈakˌses/ • n. 1. a means of approaching or entering a place: the staircase gives access to the top floor. ∎  the right or opportunity to use or benefit from something: do you have access to a computer? ∎  the right or opportunity to approach or see someone: we were denied access to our grandson. ∎  the action or process of obtaining or retrieving information stored in a computer's memory. ∎  the condition of being able to be reached or obtained: improving road access.2. [in sing.] an attack or outburst of an emotion: an access of rage.• v. [tr.] (usu. be accessed) 1. Comput. obtain, examine, or retrieve (data or a file).2. approach or enter (a place): private baths accessed via the balcony.3. gain the right or opportunity to use or benefit from (something).

ACCESS

Freedom of approach or communication; or the means, power, or opportunity of approaching, communicating, or passing to and from. Sometimes importing the occurrence of sexual intercourse; otherwise as importing opportunity of communication for that purpose as betweenhusband and wife.

In real property law, the term access denotes the right vested in the owner of the land that adjoins a road or other highway to go and return from his own land to the highway without obstruction. Access to property does not necessarily carry with it possession.

For purposes of establishing element of access by defendant incopyrightinfringement action, access is ordinarily defined as opportunity to copy.

Prisoners are entitled to have access to court. Prison officials cannot prevent prisoners from filing papers or appearing in court even if they honestly think that such prevention would help them maintain discipline and good order.

Owners of real property are entitled to some means of access to their property from a road or highway. They do not necessarily need to own a corridor of land from their property to the nearest road, but they may claim an easement of access.

In a paternity suit, access means the opportunity to have had sexual relations. When there is a question about who is the father of a certain child, it is appropriate for a court to determine which man had access to the mother around the estimated time of conception. A man charged with being the father of an illegitimate child may plead the defense of multiple access—that the mother had several lovers at the time of conception.

access
1. The reading or writing of data, with the connotation that the content of the reading or writing is taken into account. The word is most commonly used in connection with filed information and is often qualified by an indication as to the types of access that are to be permitted. For example, read-only access means that the contents of the file may be read but not altered or erased.

2. The right or opportunity to read or write data or programs. The UK Computer Misuse Act 1990 states that “a person secures access to any program or data held in a computer if by causing a computer to perform any function he alters or erases the program or data, copies or moves it to any storage medium other than that in which it is held or to a different location in the storage medium in which it is held, uses it or has it output from the computer in which it is held (whether by having it displayed or in any other manner)”.

3. To gain entry to data, a computer system, etc. In the US, to access strictly means to instruct, communicate with, store data in, retrieve data from, or otherwise obtain the ability to use the resources of a computer or any part thereof.

access XIV. — OF. ac(c)és (mod. accès) :- L. accessus, f. access-, pp. stem of accēdere ACCEDE.
So accessible XV. — (O)F. or late L. accession XVI. — (O)F. or L.

Access Trademark A relational database management system for PCs produced by Microsoft.