random-access

adjective

ran·​dom-ac·​cess ˈran-dəm-ˈak-ˌses How to pronounce random-access (audio)
: permitting access to stored data in any order the user desires

Examples of random-access in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The research firm foresees the revenue for DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) chips declining 39.4% in 2023 but expects a rise of 86.8% in 2024 as pricing keeps rebounding. Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 7 July 2023 In the Lisa and most other operating systems, two indexes access a program on floppy disk, using up precious random-access memory and increasing the delay in fetching programs from a disk. IEEE Spectrum, 2 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'random-access.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of random-access was in 1953

Dictionary Entries Near random-access

Cite this Entry

“Random-access.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/random-access. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

random-access

adjective
ran·​dom-ac·​cess
ˌran-dəm-ˈak-ˌses
: permitting access to stored data in any order the user desires

More from Merriam-Webster on random-access

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