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

• remote-control
  adjective
• remote-controlled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of remote control

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

By combining an intuitive multitouch interface with always-on internet connectivity, the smartphone became a universal remote control for modern life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 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

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 • Nov. 23, 2025

My favorite activity was watching a television that I did not have to share with other children who hogged the remote control.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter