riding
noun
the act of a person or thing that rides.
riding
1 American
[rahy-ding]
/ ˈraɪ dɪŋ /
noun
adjective
riding
2
American
[rahy-ding]
/ ˈraɪ dɪŋ /
noun
-
any of the three administrative divisions into which Yorkshire, England, is divided, namely, North Riding, East Riding, and West Riding.
-
any similar administrative division elsewhere.
Riding
3
American
[rahy-ding]
/ ˈraɪ dɪŋ /
noun
riding
1
British
/ ˈraɪdɪŋ /
noun
riding
2
British
/ ˈraɪdɪŋ /
noun
-
(capital when part of a name) any of the three former administrative divisions of Yorkshire: North Riding, East Riding and West Riding
-
(in Canada) a parliamentary constituency
-
(in New Zealand) a rural electorate for local government
Etymology
Origin of riding1
before 1000; Middle English (noun, adj.); Old English rīdende (adj.). See ride, -ing 1, -ing 2
Origin of riding2
1250–1300; Middle English triding, Old English *thriding < Old Norse thridjungr third part; t- (of ME), variant of th- (of OE), lost by assimilation to -t in east, west, which commonly preceded
Explanation
Use the word riding for the sport of maneuvering a horse while sitting on its back. So when your friend invites you to go riding, you'd better be prepared to climb up into a saddle. You can also call this sport horseback riding, or if you want to get really fancy, equestrianism. Riding involves, of course, staying perched on the back of a horse while it trots, canters, or gallops along. There are a lot of additional variations on riding, including horse racing, rodeo events, and dressage, which involves dance-like movements that are judged on how athletic and graceful the horse is and how relaxed the rider appears.
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:
The “Girls Next Door” alum was filming an episode of the reality series—which ran from 2005 to 2010, and had taken the cast to Sunset Ranch to produce a horseback riding scene.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
Ninth graders Marley Handley, left, and Audrey Baca take a selfie while riding the bus to a Patriot High girls’ flag football game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
In one notorious case a taxi driver was jailed because a passenger reported what he had said while riding in his cab.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Picard is a man given to philosophical debates and genteel pursuits like horseback riding and fencing.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
School just ended, so I’m riding over to the park now, have a garbage bag all ready for any stranded cans, but there’s nothing.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
East Riding of Yorkshire Council said its Wellbeing for Us programme, aimed at residents aged 18 and over, was designed to help people build confidence and make meaningful social connections, while reducing isolation.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Riding home from an in-person swap where Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior is secured.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
Riding wild market swings, the 24-year-old South Korean software developer said she has won and lost the equivalent of a month’s salary in the span of a second.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Riding a wave of hype and capital, quantum computing was thrust back into the spotlight last month as the U.S. government made a $2 billion bet on the technology.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
Riding someone’s shoulder and hair glittering in firelight.
From "Milkweed" by Jerry Spinelli
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