acceso
nounCEFR B2High frequency
What does “acceso” mean in English?
access, right of entry
access, right of entry (the ability or right to use, reach, or benefit from something; acceso a la educación/vivienda)
Example sentences
El acceso desigual a la tecnología amenaza con ampliar la brecha entre los países más desarrollados y los demás.
Unequal access to technology threatens to widen the gap between the more developed countries and the rest.
Las políticas de acceso abierto permiten que cualquier investigador consulte las publicaciones científicas sin coste.
Open-access policies allow any researcher to consult scientific publications free of charge.
Garantizar el acceso a una justicia efectiva es uno de los pilares del Estado de derecho.
Guaranteeing access to effective justice is one of the pillars of the rule of law.
How to use it
El acceso (noun, masculine) means 'access, entry, opportunity to use or reach something'. At B2 it is central to social, political, and digital discourse. Core collocations: tener/garantizar/facilitar/restringir el acceso; acceso a la educación/la vivienda/la información; acceso gratuito/igualitario; acceso a internet. The adjective accesible derives from it. Distinguish from entrada (physical entry point) and permiso (formal permission) — acceso is about the condition of being able to reach or use.
Common mistake
Don't use *acceso as a false friend for 'accessibility' — that is accesibilidad. 'Login/access credentials' = datos de acceso (not *credenciales). 'Access road' = vía de acceso. In social contexts, acceso nearly always implies opportunity or right, not just the physical ability to enter.