ridesharing

American  

[rahyd-shair-ing] / ˈraɪdˌʃɛər ɪŋ /

Also rideshare, or ride-sharing

adjective

1. of or relating to the sharing of rides in a motor vehicle with other people, especially commuters.

   a ridesharing program to reduce overcrowding on the highways.

2. Also called real-time ridesharing.  of or relating to a car service that allows a person to use a smartphone app to arrange a ride in a usually privately owned vehicle.

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noun

1. an arrangement or instance involving the sharing of rides in a motor vehicle with other people, especially commuters.

   a statewide campaign to encourage ridesharing.

2. Also called real-time ridesharing.  a car service that allows a person to use a smartphone app to arrange a ride in a usually privately owned vehicle.

Etymology

Origin of ridesharing

First recorded in 1940–45; ride + share ¹ + -ing ¹ ; the term arose during World War II as part of an effort to conserve fuel and rubber

Example Sentences

Look at the stranglehold ridesharing apps have on hailing a cab.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

The Dow Jones Transportation Average, a collection of 2o leading trucking, airline, railroad and shipping firms—as well as ridesharing giant Uber —is near an all-time high.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Regulated taxicabs were always free to develop ridesharing and ride-hailing apps that we now associate with Uber and Lyft.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025

And because it’s 2025, there’s a lot that feels very different, from ridesharing and microaggressions to all-gender public bathrooms and goat therapy.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2025

Hodge said Uber got a head start of at least 20 months over its competitors in Australia’s emerging transport app market by launching UberX when ridesharing was illegal in some Australian states.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 2, 2024