access time
noun
Simple meaning
The time interval between the issuing of a request to read data from or write data to a storage device and the completion of this action.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
aksuhstymSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈæksɛsˈtaɪm
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
computing
The time interval between the issuing of a request to read data from or write data to a storage device and the completion of this action.
computingcomputer science
The interval between the time data is requested by the system and the time the data is provided by the drive
computing
An item of metadata indicating when a file was last accessed.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The time interval between the issuing of a request to read data from or write data to a storage device and the completion of this action.
Used this way, access time is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a computing use: it carries a fixed technical meaning inside software and systems work.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Technology
- Technical/specialist writing
- Business/professional
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.