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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
Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
The Modern Pentathlon equestrian segment is essentially an obstacle course for equestrians, who run their horses through a series of jumps and other maneuvers in as little time as possible, with the fewest mistakes.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 27 May 2026
The Briton’s triumph is not the only example of how experience can be advantageous in equestrian, a sport where athletes are still competing into their 70s for the biggest prizes.
—Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 21 May 2026
That department is severing ties with those 14 club teams, which UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said also include men’s crew, cycling, equestrian, gymnastics, kickline, polo, running, sailing, ski, tap and woodsmen.
—Katie Servas, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Equestrian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equestrian. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
equestrian
1 of 2 adjective
equestrian
2 of 2 noun
