Meaning & use
charioteer
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Meaning
nouncountable
A person who drives a chariot, a light two-wheeled vehicle pulled by horses, in battle, in a race or in a procession.
Grammar: Countable: one charioteer, several charioteers.
Patterns
- a charioteer in something
The charioteer leaned into the curve as the crowd roared in the Circus Maximus.
A painted vase showed a charioteer guiding four horses toward a temple.
Every charioteer on the track wore the colors of a different team.
Word forms
| plural | charioteers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a skilled charioteer
- A skilled charioteer could win fame and wealth in ancient Rome.
- a Roman charioteer
- The museum displays the tombstone of a Roman charioteer.
- charioteer and horses
- The sculpture shows a charioteer and horses in full gallop.
- a champion charioteer
- The champion charioteer was carried home on the shoulders of fans.
Synonyms and how they differ
- driver
- Driver is a general word for anyone controlling a vehicle, while charioteer places the scene in the ancient world.
- coachman
- A coachman drove a horse-drawn carriage for passengers, not a light racing or war chariot.
Word family
- chariot noun
- the two-wheeled vehicle
- chariots noun
- plural of chariot
Commonly confused: charioteer or cavalier?
charioteer vs cavalier
A cavalier was a mounted soldier or a gallant gentleman, not someone who drives a chariot.
Practice
Which person is most likely to be called a charioteer?
Choose one answer.
A charioteer drives a horse-drawn chariot, typically in ancient settings. The other options are modern vehicles.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “charioteer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.