random access: Meaning and Definition of

ran'dom ac'cess

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the capacity of a videodisc or compact disc player that allows the user to select and replay any portion without starting at the beginning.
  2. availability, as of a service or facility, whenever needed or desired: an executive's need for random access to legal experts.

ran•dom-ac•cess

Pronunciation: (ran'dum-ak'ses), [key]
— adj. Computers.
  1. of or pertaining to a storage medium in which records can be read or written at the same time from or to any main storage address.
  2. See
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.