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.
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
They used to spend time playing with remote control cars and helicopters.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
He reaches for the remote control and changes the channel.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
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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.