'open-access' originates from the combination of 'open' and 'access', where 'open' meant 'not closed' and 'access' meant 'the means of approaching or entering a place'.

'open-access' evolved from the concept of 'open' and 'access' being used together to describe unrestricted entry or availability.

Initially, it meant 'freely accessible', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.