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

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Etymology

Origin of remote control

First recorded in 1900–05

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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 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

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

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

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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