equestrian

1 of 2

adjective

eques·​tri·​an i-ˈkwe-strē-ən How to pronounce equestrian (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or featuring horseback riding
equestrian Olympic events
b
archaic : riding on horseback : mounted
c
: representing a person on horseback
2
: of, relating to, or composed of knights

equestrian

2 of 2

noun

: one who rides on horseback

Did you know?

Equestrian comes from equus, Latin for "horse". Old statues of military heroes, like the famous one of General Sherman on New York's Fifth Avenue, are frequently equestrian. In these sculptures the man always sits nobly upright on a horse, but the horse's stance varies; depending on whether the rider was killed in battle or survived, was victorious or defeated, the horse traditionally stands with four, three, or two hooves on the ground. Equestrian statues have been popular through the centuries, because until the 20th century almost every officer in Europe and America was trained in equestrian skills and combat.

Examples of equestrian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The timing coincides with the U.S. qualifier for the Longines League of Nations, promising a thrilling equestrian event with top-notch athletes – just steps away. Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Gobin was hired by Great Meadow Foundation, an equestrian events center in The Plains, to run polo exhibitions called Twilight Polo in 2007. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 Members of the royal family often slip into the stands at certain equestrian events around the U.K., and Queen Camilla, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank checked out the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 Hadid appeared to soft-launch their relationship in January, including one image of her coach in an equestrian Instagram dump, though Banuelos's face was cropped out. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2024 Explore See latest videos, charts and news The Compton Cowboys are a childhood group of eight friends from the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles, who use music, horseback riding and equestrian culture to improve their inner-city community. Melinda Newman, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024 The lists include carnivals, alphabets, and equestrian games; traditions of boatbuilding and polyphonic song; systems of irrigation, navigation, divination, and conflict remediation; and at least one constitution—the Manden Charter, proclaimed eight centuries ago in present-day Mali. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2024 Millie was the quintessential Malibu cowgirl, a talented equestrian and bull rider in rodeos. Hadley Meares, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 After a thorough tour of the museum, equestrian aficionados can come face-to-face with retired racehorses during a trip up to TRF Sanctuary Farm at Chestnut Hall, a sprawling estate that’s been serving as a crucial haven for elderly horses since 2021. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
Noun
And, with a 2,000-square-foot, six-stall barn, equestrians can bring their equine pets, too. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 The girls were passionate equestrians after having grown up part-time on their mother’s farm in Wilmington, North Carolina. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 11 Jan. 2024 The wedding was held at their farm in Westchester County, New York. Also an accomplished equestrian and owner of Evergate Stables, Jennifer previously said the pair's love for the sport was part of what brought them together. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024 Keep in mind that hikers, cyclists and equestrians share this trail. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Feb. 2024 Although clones are still not permitted in horse racing, top-flight horses sell for upward of $1 million to the best polo clubs in Argentina, to endurance riders in the Middle East and to show-jumping equestrians around the world. Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2023 The equestrian, for example, started out as a digital model scripted in Python. Allyssia Alleyne, WIRED, 12 Feb. 2024 In recent collections, the fashion industry has toyed between the chunky combat and the second skin, the western-inspired and the equestrian, the reimagined welly and the distressed biker—we’ve even witnessed the resurgence of the Chelsea boot thanks to Jonathan Anderson at Loewe. Ciarra Lorren Zatorski, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2023 Jennifer married Nassar, an Olympic equestrian, in October 2021 after nearly four years of dating. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'equestrian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin equestr-, equester of a horseman, from eques horseman, from equus horse — more at equine

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of equestrian was circa 1681

Dictionary Entries Near equestrian

Cite this Entry

“Equestrian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equestrian. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

equestrian

1 of 2 adjective
eques·​tri·​an i-ˈkwes-trē-ən How to pronounce equestrian (audio)
: of or relating to horses, horseback riding, or people who ride horses

equestrian

2 of 2 noun
: one who rides on horseback

More from Merriam-Webster on equestrian

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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