equestrian
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to horseback riding or horseback riders.
equestrian skill.
-
mounted on horseback.
equestrian knights.
-
representing a person mounted on a horse.
an equestrian statue.
-
pertaining to or composed of knights or mounted warriors.
an equestrian code of honor.
-
of or relating to the ancient Roman equites.
noun
-
equestrians
plural
adjective
-
of or relating to horses and riding
-
on horseback; mounted
-
depicting or representing a person on horseback
an equestrian statue
-
of, relating to, or composed of Roman equites
-
of, relating to, or composed of knights, esp the imperial free knights of the Holy Roman Empire
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of equestrian
1650–60; < Latin equestri ( s ) (compare eques horseman) + -an
Explanation
An equestrian is an expert horseback rider. If you only go riding for an hour while on vacation you aren't an equestrian, but the person leading the group and riding the flashy horse probably is. When you know that equus is the Latin word for "horse," the meaning of equestrian becomes clear. An equestrian is someone who is involved with horses. You can also use it as an adjective to describe anything having to do with horseback riding. An aspiring equestrian may have to give up socializing with friends in favor of equestrian duties like grooming horses.
Vocabulary lists containing equestrian
Horsin' Around
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Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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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:
In a public LA28 Facebook group, a member named Tara initially described the $1,700-per-person price for a three-hour equestrian event as “robbery” but four days later, announced their decision to “splurge.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
The property is also fully equipped as an equestrian facility, boasting a 3,800-square-foot horse barn, with eight stalls, a tack room, and a hay loft.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Horses have been evacuated from an equestrian centre near Paris as the Fontainebleau wildfire continues to rage.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
A few days later, a crowd of 100,000 gave him a hero’s welcome at Union Square beneath Henry Kirke Brown’s already beloved bronze equestrian statue of George Washington.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
“No, you’re not. I don’t actually know what the heck you are, but anyone who sits at the same table as the equestrian director is not a working man. That much I know.”
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
One horse sported wear on its teeth suggesting it was controlled by a bit typically used by elite equestrians in the Middle Ages.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 21, 2024
The move leaves equestrians in a big swath of horse country, from the foothills and canyons of the Santa Ana Mountains to the Chino Hills, on their own once again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
Mr. Russell is the patriarch of an extended family of equestrians.
From New York Times ● Jul. 11, 2023
It sported a hat reminiscent of equestrians styles – unsurprising given the house’s close association with show jumping.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 4, 2023
The ten minutes John had given seemed very long, but at last wheels were heard; four equestrians galloped up the drive, and after them came two open carriages.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
