rider

noun

rid·​er ˈrī-dər 

1

: one that rides

2

a

: an addition to a document (such as an insurance policy) often attached on a separate piece of paper

b

: a clause appended to a legislative bill to secure a usually distinct object

3

: something used to overlie another or to move along on another piece

riderless

ˈrī-dər-ləs 

adjective

Examples of rider in a Sentence

Watch out for bike riders while driving.

She added a rider to her life insurance policy that increased her coverage.

Congress added a rider to the health insurance bill.

Recent Examples on the Web

Many of its riders are getting a new view of the historic bridge, which has connected Wisconsin's Crawford County with Lansing, Iowa, for almost a century. —Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Dec. 2025

Stretching from San Diego in the south to San Luis Obispo in the north, the Surfliner gives riders a scenic and stress-free way to travel the California coast without missing any of its highlights. —Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2025

In a statement to WJZ, Amtrak says more riders are choosing the rails, which is a trend that started before the longest-running government shutdown caused airport headaches earlier this month. —Tara Lynch, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025

Electrifying the diesel trains and increasing service could bring in more riders. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rider

• circuit rider
• dispatch rider
• horseback rider
• night rider

Rhymes for rider

• cider
• cyder
• eider
• glider
• hider
• schneider
• slider
• snider
• spider
• stridor
• wider
• collider

Kids Definition

rider

noun

rid·​er ˈrīd-ər 

1

: one that rides

2

a

: an addition to a document

b

: an additional clause to a legislative bill

3

: something that lies over or moves along on another piece

the scale had riders to measure weight

riderless

-ləs 

adjective

Legal Definition

rider

noun

rid·​er

1

: an addition to a document (as an insurance policy) often attached on a separate piece of paper

2

: a clause or provision appended to a legislative bill to obtain a usually distinct object