equestrian

1 of 2

adjective

eques·​tri·​an i-ˈkwe-strē-ən 

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 rambling 340-acre property, owned by Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET, sits just outside of town and offers amenities including an equestrian center, indoor and outdoor pools, and tennis courts, in addition to a full-service spa. —Eve Ettinger, Southern Living, 15 Dec. 2024

The bucolic estate is home to an 18-hole golf course, equestrian stables, sporting clay courses, and also, real life Hobbit Houses. —Caitlin Palumbo, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Noun

Screen Rant states that Hadid's addition to the show makes sense, given her background as an equestrian. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 15 Dec. 2024

From July 27 to Aug. 6, Olympic equestrian across three disciplines — dressage, eventing and jumping — occurred at the Palace of Versailles. —Lukas Weese, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024

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

Kids Definition

equestrian

1 of 2 adjective

eques·​tri·​an i-ˈkwes-trē-ən 

: of or relating to horses, horseback riding, or people who ride horses

equestrian

2 of 2 noun

: one who rides on horseback