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
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.
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
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—From the cab of his tow truck, George Dowdy clicked a remote control to slide the boom under a parked Chevy Trax and grab its front tires.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025
Wielding a remote control that brought up a succession of graphs, she sought to persuade activists - and the voters at home - that "anyone with half a brain can see that won't cut bills".
From BBC • Oct. 6, 2025
He emptied all his handheld video games and Josh's remote control cars, and called his grandma to tell her that all he wanted for his birthday in November was AA batteries.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
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.
