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
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The ordinance included language that excludes equestrian events, as well as American Indian, Native American, Indigenous Rodeo, Mexican Charreria and Escaramuza events that don’t involve the activities cited in the law.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Worldwide, the number of equine clones born a year pales in comparison to traditionally-bred horses, but those clones—and their offspring—are starting to emerge in the top echelons of different equestrian disciplines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
AFP was given rare access to the competition, held at an equestrian complex in the capital Ashgabat and presided over by strongman president Serdar Berdymukhamedov, Gurbanguly's son.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Many of the victims, like Katie Simpson, were just starting off in the equestrian world.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
This Jean Shepherd Show theme song had been recorded by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops orchestra, and the equestrian feel to the piece made Bobby feel good the instant he heard it.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
