remote
Americanadjective
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far apart; far distant in space; situated at some distance away.
the remote jungles of Brazil.
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out-of-the-way; secluded.
a remote village;
a remote mountaintop.
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(of an electronic device or technical process) operating or controlled from a distance, as by remote control.
a remote camera.
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not direct, primary, or proximate; not directly involved or influential.
the remote causes of the war.
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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
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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.
-
reserved and distant in manner; not warmly cordial; aloof.
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far off; abstracted; removed.
principles remote from actions.
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distant in time.
remote antiquity.
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distant in relationship or connection.
a remote ancestor.
noun
-
remotes
plural
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Radio and Television. a broadcast, usually live, from a location outside a studio.
adjective
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located far away; distant
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far from any centre of population, society, or civilization; out-of-the-way
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distant in time
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distantly related or connected
a remote cousin
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removed, as from the source or point of action
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slight or faint (esp in the phrases not the remotest idea, a remote chance )
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(of a person's manner) aloof or abstracted
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operated from a distance; remote-controlled
a remote monitor
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of remote
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin remōtus, past participle of removēre “to move back”; see remove, motion
Explanation
Remote describes something far, far away, like a campsite way out in the woods, a distant planet, or the chance you'll win the lottery. The Australian outback is remote, since it's hard to get to and there aren't many people there. It's also remote in the sense that it's far away from civilization. Someone with a faraway look in her eye, not answering your questions is also remote. Remote can describe something unlikely, like that lottery win. You might win, but your chances are so remote you shouldn't count on it.
Vocabulary lists containing remote
"Marriage is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
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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.
See Examples For:
“If you move an operator to a remote station, they can easily switch from machine to machine,” said Jaime Mineart, Caterpillar’s chief technology officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
He uses a hunting app to identify who owns which patch of remote land, then mails the property owner a letter asking for permission to gather.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The Sisters of Nazareth allow requests for both remote enquiries and on-site research, but visits must be approved by the congregation and are supervised.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
This even led to viral discussions about whether a $240,000 salaried job in-person, or a $120,000 salaried job fully remote was better.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
Her mother was quiet, her face shuttered and remote in a way Jinjoo had never seen before.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
At this point, the most responsible thing Attorney General Pam Bondi could do is confiscate the department’s television remotes and log everyone out of their social media accounts.
From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2026
I also had wide and mid-range angled cameras, both mounted on a tripod to be trigged by remotes.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 14, 2024
Like his night stand, which is buried under books, charging cables and remotes to TVs she is fairly certain they no longer own.
From New York Times ● Mar. 23, 2024
This energy density cannot be achieved in the lithium-ion batteries powering most of today's battery-operated devices -- including phones, television remotes, and even electric vehicles.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 26, 2024
Since then, however, the adaptation has been passed down: we’ve all inherited it to some degree, so that we plug right into joysticks and remotes, to repetitive motions of a hundred kinds.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
“It makes me think that it’s certainly biologically possible to have grizzly bears in those remoter corners of California,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2025
Army units deployed Monday along a paved road leading from Amizmiz to remoter mountain villages.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 11, 2023
This has left digital asset companies with little choice but to seek out smaller financial institutions, some in remoter corners of global finance.
From Reuters ● Apr. 19, 2023
If the lame-duck Congress approves reforms to the laws concerning how electoral votes get validated and counted, it will become remoter still.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 16, 2022
The seats were filling with officers in full uniform and their ladies; in remoter areas, the rank and file were admitted to celebrate their favorite Regimental commanders in this act of buffoonage.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
A Dutch student team Tuesday unveiled what they believe to be the world's first solar-powered ambulance, which they hope can bring much-needed medical care to the remotest parts of the globe.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
She was drawn there by a desire for change and the attractive salaries Alaska offers attorneys who staff its remotest locations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
His father's long-term friend Arman Jilavian said even the remotest of chances of helping ethnic Armenians remain in their ancestral land was enough for him.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2025
Satellites bring phone signals to the country’s remotest corners and help operate solar farms far from India’s megacities.
From New York Times ● Jul. 4, 2023
I continued swimming underwater for a good while, coming up for rapid gulps of air and going back down till I felt safe from the remotest possibility of being pursued.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
