# white rider

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/white-rider
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Conquest or Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

## Examples

- The ancient painting shows the white rider on a pale horse.
- Many scholars interpret the white rider as a symbol of conquest appearing before the end of the world.
- In the final book of the Bible, the white rider emerges from the opened seal, carrying a bow and wearing a crown of victory.

## Origin

A reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, in which the rider of a white horse is identified as Conquest or Pestilence.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.