remote control
Americannoun
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control of the operation or performance of an apparatus from a distance, as the control of a guided missile by radio signals.
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Also called remote. a device used to control the operation of an apparatus or machine, as a television set, from a distance.
noun
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control of a system or activity by a person at a different place, usually by means of radio or ultrasonic signals or by electrical signals transmitted by wire
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Also:: remote. a hand-held device that enables remote control of a system or appliance
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of remote control
First recorded in 1900–05
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"That momentary satisfaction, when you have taken revenge by taking the remote control into your own hands and seen the results of your work with your own eyes."
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
By combining an intuitive multitouch interface with always-on internet connectivity, the smartphone became a universal remote control for modern life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
When he said he needed to take remote control of my computer, I knew I was talking to scammers, not PayPal.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026
"Essentially, we used light as a remote control to program how matter organizes itself at the microscale," said Sacanna.
From Science Daily • Mar. 2, 2026
She’d buried two water bowls, a TV remote control, a pizza box, a ziplock bag of Legos, three Frisbees, and two of my homework folders there.
From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
