Definition

1. Adverb:
   • To a very small or slight degree; barely; faintly: Used to indicate that something is possible or true only in a minimal, unlikely, or insignificant way.
   • From or at a distance; in a distant or removed manner: Used to describe an action performed with physical or emotional separation, or a connection made over a long distance.

Usage Examples

• Adverb (To a small degree):

  • I'm not even remotely interested in that idea. (My level of interest is extremely low; I have almost no interest.)
  • It is not remotely similar to the original design. (It is not similar in any significant way.)
  • He wasn't remotely prepared for the exam. (He was very underprepared.)

• Adverb (From a distance):

  • She works remotely from her home office. (She works from a location distant from a central office.)
  • The device can be controlled remotely via a smartphone app. (It can be controlled from a distance, without physical contact.)
  • He spoke about the tragedy remotely, as if it didn't affect him personally. (He spoke in a detached, emotionally distant manner.)

Advanced Usage

• "remotely possible": Barely possible; having only the slightest chance of being true or happening.
  • It's remotely possible that the flight will be delayed, but the weather looks good.
• "not remotely": Used for strong negation, emphasizing that something is not true or applicable in any way.
  • That explanation is not remotely accurate. (It is completely inaccurate.)
• "remotely connected": Having a very slight, indirect, or distant connection.
  • The two issues are only remotely connected. (They are very loosely related.)

Variants and Related Words

• Remote (Adjective):
  • Distant in space, time, or relation: "a remote village."
  • Very slight or faint: "a remote possibility."
  • Distant in manner; aloof: "a remote personality."
• Remoteness (Noun): The state or quality of being remote.

Synonyms

• Barely: Only just; almost not. (e.g., )
• Faintly: In a faint manner; slightly. (e.g., )
• Slightly: To a small degree; somewhat. (Note: "slightly" is often more neutral, while "remotely" in this sense is usually negative or minimizing.)
• Distantly: From or at a distance; in a distant manner.

Related Phrases

• Work remotely: To perform one's job from a location other than a traditional central office, often from home.
• Access remotely: To connect to a computer system or network from a different location.

Idioms and Common Collocations

• Not even remotely: An emphatic phrase meaning "not at all" or "not in the slightest."
  • This is not even remotely close to what I asked for.
• Remotely likely: Very unlikely.
  • A victory for the underdog is not remotely likely.

Adverb

1. to a remote degree
   • it is remotely possible
2. in a remote manner
   • when the measured speech of the chorus passes over into song the tones are, remotely but unmistakably, those taught by the orthodox liturgy