Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

remote

American  
[ri-moht] / rɪˈmoʊt /

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    withdrawn, retiring, reticent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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of remote

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

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.

After a visit to Austria to see how a similarly remote resort there succeeded, Horning took the plunge.

From The Wall Street Journal

Inside he found a hidden camera feeding a vast surveillance network that logs the license plate of every driver passing through this stretch of remote backcountry between San Diego and the Arizona state line.

From Los Angeles Times

America’s enviable salaries and stock gains powered by the U.S. economy allow a new class of students, remote workers and retirees to finance a second chapter abroad.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fueling this emigration is the rise of remote work, higher living costs at home and an appetite for a different lifestyle.

From The Wall Street Journal

They predicted the wealthy and their companies would be driven out by lockdowns, governance failures, crime and the sudden possibility of remote work.

From The Wall Street Journal