remote

[ri-moht]

adjective

remoter, remotest 

1. far apart; far distant in space; situated at some distance away.

   the remote jungles of Brazil.

   Antonyms: near, close

2. out-of-the-way; secluded.

   a remote village;

   a remote mountaintop.

   Synonyms: solitary, apart, removed, isolated

3. (of an electronic device or technical process) operating or controlled from a distance, as by remote control.

   a remote camera.

4. not direct, primary, or proximate; not directly involved or influential.

   the remote causes of the war.

5. slight or faint; unlikely.

   The committee doesn't have the remotest idea of how to address the basic issue.

   So with two games remaining, we actually have a remote chance of making the play-offs.

   Synonyms: doubtful

6. noting or relating to work, schooling, or other activities that take place away from their usual place, site, or building: Teachers have distance learning lessons prepared in advance for weather emergencies that necessitate remote instruction.

   The company allows remote work for freelancers, but full-time employees are expected to work on site.

   Teachers have distance learning lessons prepared in advance for weather emergencies that necessitate remote instruction.

7. reserved and distant in manner; not warmly cordial; aloof.

   Synonyms: withdrawn, retiring, reticent

8. far off; abstracted; removed.

   principles remote from actions.

9. distant in time.

   remote antiquity.

10. distant in relationship or connection.

    a remote ancestor.

noun

1. Radio and Television.,  a broadcast, usually live, from a location outside a studio.

2. remote control.

remote

/ rɪˈməʊt /

adjective

1. located far away; distant

2. far from any centre of population, society, or civilization; out-of-the-way

3. distant in time

4. distantly related or connected

   a remote cousin

5. removed, as from the source or point of action

6. slight or faint (esp in the phrases not the remotest idea, a remote chance )

7. (of a person's manner) aloof or abstracted

8. operated from a distance; remote-controlled

   a remote monitor

Other Word Forms

• remotely adverb
• remoteness noun
• unremote adjective
• unremoteness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of remote¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin remōtus, past participle of removēre “to move back”; remove, motion

Word History and Origins

Origin of remote¹

C15: from Latin remōtus far removed, from removēre , from _re- + movēre to move

Example Sentences

Victims were asked for money to cover fake expenses, including fines in remote locations or urgent travel costs.

From BBC

Seventy years ago today, actor James Dean was killed while driving his sports car on a remote highway in Central California.

From Los Angeles Times

She journeys to Chile’s remote Punta Arenas, home to the scenic Sara Braun Municipal Cemetery, a profusion of pruned cypress trees and a statue of an Unknown Indian.

From Los Angeles Times

She called the new developments “displacement housing” that doesn’t address the needs of those in remote areas who continue to “flounder in disaster-caused homelessness.”

From Los Angeles Times

Two vets have renewed their appeal for greater protection for a rare breed of sheep that lives on a remote Scottish archipelago.

From BBC

Related Words

• distant 
• far-flung 
• far-off 
• faraway 
• inaccessible 
• isolated 
• lonely 
• lonesome 
• obscure 
• outlying 
• private 
• secluded 
• unknown