rider

American  

[rahy-der] / ˈraɪ dər /

noun

• riders
  plural

1. a person who rides a horse or other animal, a bicycle, etc.

2. something that rides.

3. an additional clause, usually unrelated to the main body, attached to a legislative bill in passing it.

4. an addition or amendment to a document, testament, etc.

5. any object or device that straddles, is mounted upon, or is attached to something else.

6. a rail or stake used to brace the corners in a snake fence.

7. Shipbuilding. any of various members following and reinforcing primary framing members, especially a plate or timber running along the top of a keel.

8. Numismatics.

   1. a former gold coin of Scotland, first issued by James III in 1475, whose obverse bears an equestrian figure of the king.

   2. any of several gold or silver coins of the Netherlands bearing the figure of a horseman.

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rider British  

/ ˈraɪdə /

noun

1. a person or thing that rides, esp a person who rides a horse, a bicycle, or a motorcycle

2. an additional clause, amendment, or stipulation added to a legal or other document, esp (in Britain) a legislative bill at its third reading

3. a statement made by a jury in addition to its verdict, such as a recommendation for mercy

4. any of various objects or devices resting on, surmounting, or strengthening something else

5. a small weight that can be slid along one arm of a chemical balance to make fine adjustments during weighing

6. geology a thin seam, esp of coal or mineral ore, overlying a thicker seam

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rider Cultural  

1. A provision, usually controversial and unlikely to pass on its own merits, that is attached to a popular bill in the hopes that it will “ride” to passage on the back of the popular bill.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• riderless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• riders
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rider

before 1100; Middle English ridere, Old English. See ride, -er ¹

Explanation

Riders are people who are in motion — riding bicycles, subways, horses, roller coasters and much more. Another kind of rider is a special list that attaches to, or "rides along" with, a contract. The noun rider means "one who rides," but its other meaning is "a document that is added to legal or official documents." On Capitol Hill, lawmakers add riders to legislation documents to try to get certain stipulations to be part of new laws. You may have heard of touring musicians who demand that certain rare flowers be placed in their hotel rooms, which must have Italian linen sheets on the bed, and be exactly 71 degrees. It's all in the rider of the tour contract.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rider riders

Adriana Rizzo of Californians for Electric Rail, which advocates for overhead-electric rail systems, is a regular transit rider who has raised concerns to the Metrolink board about recent decisions over service and ticket prices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

Nearly all appropriations bills that Congress passes include a rider that says none of the money being awarded can be used for publicity or propaganda purposes.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

"The design of this ride makes it inherently dangerous, and makes it dangerous in a way that no reasonable rider would expect," attorney Christopher Bulone told reporters.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Annuity income is typically fixed and, as such, can lose purchasing power as prices rise — unless you purchase an inflation adjustment or rider.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

The horse and rider disappeared into the distance and still Hazel stood.

From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu

He was disappointed to learn just how much the fares would increase without any gains for riders, and he questioned the rationale.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

One hundred and eighty four riders started Sunday’s race.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Great Britain's Flora Perkins was among 15 riders to crash while speeding downhill early in the race.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

For each connected trip on public transit, riders will earn $2.85 in Waymo Cash, which is the cost of transit fare in San Francisco.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

Two more raptors stepped out behind it, both with armed riders on top.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older

Related Words

• driver
• passenger
• traveler