What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Address vs Access - What's the difference?

address | access |

In transitive terms the difference between address and access

is that address is to address oneself to; to prepare oneself for; to apply oneself to; to direct one's speech or discourse to while access is to gain or obtain access to.

As nouns the difference between address and access

is that address is direction or superscription of a letter, or the name, title, and place of residence of the person addressed while access is a way or means of approaching or entering; an entrance; a passage.

As verbs the difference between address and access

is that address is to prepare oneself while access is to gain or obtain access to.

address

Noun

(es)
  • Direction or superscription of a letter, or the name, title, and place of residence of the person addressed.
  • Act of addressing oneself to a person; a discourse or speech.
  • * 1887 , Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet , VII:
  • Mr. Gregson, who had listened to this address with considerable impatience, could contain himself no longer.
  • Manner of speaking to another; delivery.
  • Attention in the way one addresses a lady.
  • Skill; skillful management; dexterity; adroitness.
  • * 1813 , "Customs, Manners, and present Appearance of Constantinople", The New Annual Register, or General Repository of History, Politics, and Literature for the year 1812 , p. 179 (Google preview):
  • At their turning-lathes, they employ their toes to guide the chisel; and, in these pedipulations, shew to Europeans a diverting degree of address .
  • (obsolete) Act of preparing oneself.
  • A description of the location of a property.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-14, author=(Jonathan Freedland)
  • , volume=189, issue=1, page=18, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Obama's once hip brand is now tainted , passage=Where we once sent love letters in a sealed envelope, or stuck photographs of our children in a family album, now such private material is despatched to servers and clouds operated by people we don't know and will never meet. Perhaps we assume that our name, address and search preferences will be viewed by some unseen pair of corporate eyes, probably not human, and don't mind that much.}}
  • (by extension) The property itself.
  • (computing) A location in computer memory.
  • (Internet) An Internet address; URL.
  • Derived terms

    * subaddress, subaddressing

    Synonyms

    * adroitness * discourse * harangue * ingenuity * lecture * oration * petition * readiness * speech * tact

    Verb

  • (obsolete) To prepare oneself.
  • * (rfdate), (William Shakespeare)
  • Let us address to tend on Hector's heels.
  • (obsolete) To speech.
  • * (rfdate), (John Dryden)
  • Young Turnus to the beauteous maid addrest .
  • (obsolete) To aim; to .
  • * (rfdate), (Edmund Spenser)
  • And this good knight his way with me addrest .
  • (obsolete) To prepare or make ready.
  • * (rfdate), (Edmund Spenser)
  • His foe was soon addressed .
  • * (rfdate), (John Dryden)
  • Turnus addressed his men to single fight.
  • * (rfdate), (Jeremy Taylor)
  • The five foolish virgins addressed themselves at the noise of the bridegroom's coming.
  • (reflexive) To prepare oneself; to apply one's skill or energies (to some object); to betake.
  • * (rfdate) (Thomas Babington Macaulay)
  • These men addressed themselves to the task.
  • * 1851 , (Herman Melville), (Moby Dick) ,
  • [...] good heavens! dumplings for supper! One young fellow in a green box coat, addressed himself to these dumplings in a most direful manner.
  • (archaic) To clothe or array; to dress.
  • * (rfdate) Jewel
  • Tecla ... addressed herself in man's apparel.
  • To direct, as words (to any one or any thing); to make, as a speech, petition, etc. (to any one, an audience).
  • * (rfdate) (John Dryden)
  • ''The young hero had addressed his players to him for his assistance.
  • To direct speech to; to make a communication to, whether spoken or written; to apply to by words, as by a speech, petition, etc., to speak to; to accost.
  • * (rfdate) (Joseph Addison)
  • Are not your orders to address the senate?
  • * (rfdate) (Jonathan Swift)
  • The representatives of the nation addressed the king.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author=(Peter Wilby)
  • , volume=189, issue=6, page=30, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Finland spreads word on schools , passage=Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16.
  • To direct in writing, as a letter; to superscribe, or to direct and transmit.
  • To make suit to as a lover; to court; to woo.
  • To consign or intrust to the care of another, as agent or factor.
  • To address oneself to; to prepare oneself for; to apply oneself to; to direct one's speech or discourse to.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2012-03
  • , author=Lee A. Groat, volume=100, issue=2, page=128, magazine=(American Scientist) , title= Gemstones , passage=Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are […] . (Common gem materials not addressed in this article include amber, amethyst, chalcedony, garnet, lazurite, malachite, opals, peridot, rhodonite, spinel, tourmaline, turquoise and zircon.)}}
  • (formal) To direct attention towards a problem or obstacle, in an attempt to resolve it.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 19, author=Josh Halliday, work=The Guardian
  • , title= Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised? , passage="By all means we want people to use social media, but we do not want you to use it in ways that will incite violence," said Jonathan Toy, Southwark council's head of community safety. "This remains a big issue for us and without some form of censorship purely focusing on [violent videos], I'm not sure how we can address it."}}
  • (computing) To refer a location in computer memory.
  • (golf) To get ready to hit the ball on the tee.
  • Usage notes

    * The intransitive uses can be understood as omission of the reflexive pronoun.

    access

    English

    Etymology 1

    * First attested in the early 14th century. * (entrance) First attested about 1380. * From (etyl), from (etyl) .

    Noun

  • (uncountable) A way or means of approaching or entering; an entrance; a passage.
  • * All access was thronged. - Milton
  • (uncountable) The act of approaching or entering; an advance.
  • (uncountable) The right or ability of approaching or entering; admittance; admission; accessibility.
  • (uncountable) The quality of being easy to approach or enter.
  • * c. 1600 , (William Shakespeare), Act 2 Scene 1
  • I did repel his fetters, and denied His access to me. - Shakespeare, Hamlet, II-i
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011
  • , date=September 20 , author=Graeme Paton , title=University access plan 'will fail', says Russell Group , work=Telegraph citation , page= , passage=Coalition plans to widen access to university will fail to get to the 'root cause' of the problem, according to the Russell Group.}}
  • (uncountable) Admission to sexual intercourse.
  • * 1760s , (William Blackstone),
  • During coverture, access of the husband shall be presumed, unless the contrary be shown.
  • (countable) An increase by addition; accession; as, an access of territory.
  • * I, from the influence of thy looks, receive access in every virtue. - Milton
  • (countable) An onset, attack, or fit of disease; an ague fit.
  • * The first access looked like an apoplexy. - Burnet
  • (countable) An outburst of an emotion; a paroxysm; a fit of passion; as, an access of fury.
  • * 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.
    Usage note: sometimes confused with excess
  • (uncountable, legal) The right of a non-custodial parent to visit their child.
  • (uncountable, computing) The process of locating data in memory.
  • (uncountable, Internet) Connection to or communication with a computer program or to the Internet.
  • Derived terms
    * direct access * random access * remote access

    Etymology 2

    * First attested in 1962.

    Verb

    (es)
  • To gain or obtain access to.
  • (computing) To have access to (data).
  • I can't access most of the data on the computer without a password.

    References

    * * *

    Statistics

    *