ride-sharing

noun

ride-shar·​ing ˈrīd-ˌsher-iŋ 

variants or less commonly ridesharing or ride sharing

: the act or practice of sharing automobile trips

El Camino College is proposing a new $30-a-semester fee for student parking in lots on the campus. … Under the proposal, those who participate in ride-sharing would pay $20 a semester.

—Los Angeles Times

especially : an arrangement in which drivers of usually privately owned vehicles who wish to offer rides and passengers who wish to obtain rides use a network (such as one accessed through an app or a website) to coordinate the sharing of individual automobile trips for which the passengers pay a fare

The idea of ride sharing, which would leverage smartphones to save people money while offering a taxi-like service, is potentially more disruptive because it cuts out professional drivers altogether.

—The New York Times (online)

When Mims started working for Uber, it was initially so lucrative that he left his full-time truck driving job to focus on ridesharing.

—Irina Ivanova

Cab companies worldwide are also facing competitive pressure from ride-sharing firms like Uber and Lyft, where the apps connect riders with private citizens who drive them to their destinations.

—Janet Moore

compare car pool

Examples of ride-sharing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, ride-sharing services rely heavily on geocoding and routing APIs to match drivers with passengers and determine the most efficient routes. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025

Just as ride-sharing in Uber or Lyft had to overcome being seen as weird or risky before becoming mainstream, home-sharing faces similar cultural barriers. —Rachel Cohen, Vox, 3 Feb. 2025

However, while Apple and Samsung’s versions support a range of app and notification types, including live sports scores, the Android 16 implementation is so far limited to progress trackers, and Google suggests it should only be used for ride-sharing, food delivery, and navigation apps. —Dominic Preston, The Verge, 23 Jan. 2025

Drivers here already pay congestion-style taxes for ride-sharing in certain parts of the city, a policy established during the COVID-era to close a budget gap. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above