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Understand vs Access - What's the difference?

understand | access |

In transitive terms the difference between understand and access

is that understand is to be aware of the meaning of while access is to gain or obtain access to.

As a noun access is

a way or means of approaching or entering; an entrance; a passage.

understand

English

Alternative forms

* understaund (obsolete)

Verb

  • (lb) To be aware of the meaning of.
  • :
  • :
  • *(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • *:I understand not what you mean by this.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-14, author= Sam Leith
    • , volume=189, issue=1, page=37, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Where the profound meets the profane , passage=Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths.}}
  • To believe, based on information.
  • :
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=Foreword citation , passage=‘I understand that the district was considered a sort of sanctuary,’ the Chief was saying. ‘An Alsatia like the ancient one behind the Strand, or the Saffron Hill before the First World War.
  • To impute meaning, character etc. that is not explicitly stated.
  • :
  • :In this sense, the word is usually used in the past participle:
  • ::
  • *(John Locke) (1632-1705)
  • *:The most learned interpreters understood the words of sin, and not of Abel.
  • *
  • *:Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.
  • To stand under; to support.
  • :(Shakespeare)

    • Usage notes

    * Common objects of this verb include text'', ''word(s)'', ''sentence(s)'', ''note(s) , etc. * Rarely, the obsolete past tense form understanded'' may be found, e.g. in the ''Book of Common Prayer'' and ''Thirty-nine Articles of the Anglican Church .

    Synonyms

    * (to know the meaning) apprehend, comprehend, grasp, know, perceive, pick up what someone is putting down, realise, grok * (to believe) believe

    Antonyms

    * misunderstand

    Derived terms

    * I don’t understand * understandable * understanding * understood

    See also

    * explain * why

    External links

    * *

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words English irregular verbs English words prefixed with under-

    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
    Related terms
    * accede * accessary * accessible * accessibility * accessibly * accession * accessory

    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

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    Statistics

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