remote control

American  

noun

1. control of the operation or performance of an apparatus from a distance, as the control of a guided missile by radio signals.

2. Also called remote.  a device used to control the operation of an apparatus or machine, as a television set, from a distance.

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remote control British  

noun

1. 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

2. Also:: remote.  a hand-held device that enables remote control of a system or appliance

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• remote-controlled
  adjective
• remote-control
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of remote control

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

"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

The companies said radio-frequency sensors offered a common method to detect drones since most are flown within visual range using a radio remote control that communicates via radio frequency.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 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

I aimed it at the cardboard TV frame she’d taped around my window and pretended to push one of the fake remote control buttons.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff