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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

• remote-control adjective
• remote-controlled adjective

Etymology

Origin of remote control

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

The operator drives it by remote control into the back of a van which takes it closer to the frontline to preserve its battery.

From BBC

The device itself wasn’t plastic, like a remote control, but it wasn’t metal either.

From Literature

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

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

The "big players with big pockets" already pay for a bespoke button on certain remote controls, or their own content tile front and centre on the homepage on smart TVs.

From BBC