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.
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
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
Using a simple remote control, you cycle through six heat levels and can set a timer in one-hour increments.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026
She fumbled for the remote control and paused the TV again.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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.
