remote control

American  

noun

• remote controls
  plural

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-control
  adjective
• remote-controlled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• remote controls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of remote control

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

remote control

A human engineer sitting in a remote control room may be on hand to take control of the robot if needed.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

In other words, many are either run by a human with a remote control or stuck doing one narrow task.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

The race penalized the completion times of those relying on constant human remote control, including one that finished the race in under 50 minutes, according to the organizer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026

This year, rules were “optimized,” according to the Beijing Town website, with entries running either by autonomous navigation or remote control.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026

She looked at the television screen, a sitcom that she’d muted with the remote control when the phone rang.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri