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

The race penalized the completion times of those relying on constant human remote control, including one that finished the race in under 50 minutes, according to the organizer.

From The Wall Street Journal • 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

He was joined on stage by the song's producer, Mustard, who clutched a football while sporting the world's baggiest jeans - before Lamar pointed an imaginary remote control at the camera and intoned, "Game Over".

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2025

And now Mini was shaking it like a remote control that had stopped working.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi