different between direction vs access

English

Etymology

From Middle English direccioun, from Old French direccion, from Latin d?r?cti?. Equivalent to direct +? -ion

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /d(a)????k.??n/
• Rhymes: -?k??n

Noun

direction (countable and uncountable, plural directions)

1. A theoretical line (physically or mentally) followed from a point of origin or towards a destination. May be relative (e.g. up, left, outbound, dorsal), geographical (e.g. north), rotational (e.g. clockwise), or with respect to an object or location (e.g. toward Boston).
   • 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars, Chapter I,

     Just before Warwick reached Liberty Point, a young woman came down Front Street from the direction of the market-house. When their paths converged, Warwick kept on down Front Street behind her, it having been already his intention to walk in this direction.

2. A general trend for future action.
3. Guidance, instruction.

4. The work of the director in cinema or theater; the skill of directing a film, play etc.

5. (dated) The body of persons who guide or manage a matter; the directorate.
6. (archaic) A person's address.
   • 1796, Matthew Lewis, The Monk, Folio Society 1985, page 218:

     Her aunt Leonella was still at Cordova, and she knew not her direction.

Derived terms

Related terms

• direct

Translations

Anagrams

• cretinoid

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin d?r?cti?, d?r?cti?nem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.??k.sj??/

Noun

direction f (plural directions)

1. (spatial) direction
2. (figuratively) direction
3. government
4. (figuratively) the director of the administration/organisation
5. (occasional, figurative) the territory administered by a government

Derived terms

• direction assistée

Related terms

• directeur
• diriger

Descendants

• ? Turkish: direksiyon

Further reading

• “direction” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Interlingua

Noun

direction (plural directiones)

1. direction (orientation, point where one is headed)
2. direction, leadership, control, supervision

English

Etymology 1

• First attested in the early 14th century.
• (entrance): First attested about 1380.
• From Middle English accesse, acces, from Middle French acces (“attack, onslaught”) or from its source Latin accessus, perfect passive participle of acc?d? (“approach; accede”), from ad (“to, toward, at”) + c?d? (“move, yield”). Doublet of accessus.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?æks?s/
• (General American) enPR: ?k?s?s', IPA^(key): /?æk?s?s/
• Hyphenation: ac?cess

Noun

access (countable and uncountable, plural accesses)

1. (uncountable) A way or means of approaching or entering; an entrance; a passage.
   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost

     All access was thronged.

2. (uncountable) The act of approaching or entering; an advance.
3. (uncountable) The right or ability of approaching or entering; admittance; admission; accessibility.
4. (uncountable) The quality of being easy to approach or enter.
   • c. 1600, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet Act 2 Scene 1

     I did repel his fetters, and denied His access to me. - Shakespeare, Hamlet, II-i
5. (uncountable) Admission to sexual intercourse.
   • 1760s, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England

     During coverture, access of the husband shall be presumed, unless the contrary be shown.

6. (archaic, countable) An increase by addition; accession
   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost

     I, from the influence of thy looks, receive access in every virtue.

7. (countable) An onset, attack, or fit of disease; an ague fit.

   • The first access looked like an apoplexy.

8. (countable) An outburst of an emotion; a paroxysm; a fit of passion
   • 1946, Arnold J. Toynbee, A Study of History (Abridgement of Volumes I-VI by D.C. Somervell)

     It appears that, about the middle of the fourth century of the Christian Era, the Germans in the Roman service started the new practice of retaining their native names; and this change of etiquette, which seems to have been abrupt, points to a sudden access of self-confidence and self-assurance in the souls of the barbarian personnel which had previously been content to 'go Roman' without reservations.

9. (uncountable, law) The right of a noncustodial parent to visit their child.
10. (uncountable, computing) The process of locating data in memory.
11. (uncountable, networking) Connection to or communication with a computer program or to the Internet.

Usage notes

• (outburst, paroxysm): sometimes confused with excess.

Derived terms

• access day
• direct access
• random access
• remote access

Related terms

Translations

Etymology 2

• First attested in 1962.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?æks?s/, /?k?s?s/
• (General American) enPR: ?k?s?s', ?k-s?s?, IPA^(key): /?æk?s?s/, /?k?s?s/
• Hyphenation: ac?cess

Verb

access (third-person singular simple present accesses, present participle accessing, simple past and past participle accessed)

1. (transitive) To gain or obtain access to.
2. (transitive, computing) To have access to (data).

   I can't access most of the data on the computer without a password.

Translations

References

• access in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• access in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• access at OneLook Dictionary Search
• access in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.