'radio-controlled' originates from the combination of 'radio' and 'controlled', where 'radio' refers to the use of radio waves and 'controlled' means to direct or manage.

'Radio' comes from the Latin word 'radius', meaning 'ray' or 'beam', and 'controlled' is derived from the Old French 'contreroller', meaning 'to check or verify'.

Initially, it meant 'controlled by radio waves', and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.