orient

1 of 3

verb

ori·​ent ˈȯr-ē-ˌent How to pronounce orient (audio)
oriented; orienting; orients

transitive verb

1
: to direct (something, such as a book or film) toward the interests of a particular group
2
a
: to set right by adjusting to facts or principles
b
: to acquaint with the existing situation or environment
3
a
: to set or arrange in any determinate position especially in relation to the points of the compass
b
: to ascertain the bearings of
c
: to cause to face or point toward the east
specifically : to build (a church or temple) with the longitudinal axis pointing eastward and the chief altar at the eastern end
4
: to cause the axes of the molecules of (a fiber or material) to assume the same direction

orient

2 of 3

noun

1
Orient : regions or countries lying to the east of a specified or implied point : the eastern regions or countries of the world : east sense 2
formerly understood to include regions (such as the Middle East) lying to the east and southeast of southern Europe but now usually understood to refer to regions and countries of eastern Asia
sailed for the Orient
2
a
: a pearl of great luster
b
: the luster of a pearl
3
archaic : east sense 1b

orient

3 of 3

adjective

1
a
: lustrous, sparkling
orient gems
b
archaic : radiant, glowing
2
archaic : oriental sense 1
3
archaic : rising in the sky

Examples of orient in a Sentence

Verb The program is intended to orient students toward a career in medicine. Orient the map so that north is at the top. The house is oriented so that it faces west.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
South-facing windows oriented to the sun allow the studio to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and drapes outside the front door can be closed for further privacy if anyone wants to sit in the patio chair on the tiny stoop. Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Homeowners can opt for an abode that’s either oriented towards the ocean or the Grand Lucayan Waterway. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 The drill holes were mainly placed in step-out rows subparallel to the 2017-2018 drilling, oriented with azimuths 230 - 260, generally inclined at minus 65 degrees from horizontal. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2024 In the twenty-first century, the United States will not be able to orient its foreign and security policy solely around the struggle with Moscow. Max Bergmann, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2024 Image Yamamoto’s public projects with his firm, Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop, have also been oriented around social interaction. Robin Pogrebin, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 At bottom, Biden has oriented his Presidency around an unfashionable faith in compromise, experience, and relationships. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Digital transformation and generative AI have heightened the stakes and accelerated the urgency of identifying, engaging, upskilling, advancing, and retaining an agile, digitally dexterous, purpose driven, team oriented, outcome focused workforce. Mark A. Cohen, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Sales have fallen as Macy’s has struggled to win over the next generation of shoppers and compete in a world increasingly oriented toward e-commerce. Jordyn Holman, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
Artificial rotation of the intensity pattern by 180 deg caused beetles to orient in the opposite direction. Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2014 So Robson made sure there was a prominent steady object to orient viewers. Gavin Edwards, New York Times, 29 Oct. 2022 There may be nothing more important than the ability to recognize personal and professional vulnerabilities and shortcomings, orient to learning and development, and access and leverage the knowledge and strengths of others as a force-multiplier. Alexander Stein, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2022 At online conferences, saying your name before starting your talk helps orient participants who might be listening to the call without video. Anne Quito, Quartz, 25 Mar. 2022 At Pompeii, the soft robotic hands will need to grasp, move and orient fragments of varying sizes and weights with extreme care—and gather information about them in the process. Jen Pinkowski, Scientific American, 6 Dec. 2021 In another sense, our values orient and order our desires. Kathy Caprino, Forbes, 4 June 2021 Teach people to step back and observe, orient, decide, then act. Andrew Olsen, Forbes, 5 May 2021 The nature tours orient kids and adults to flora and fauna of the Lowcountry while educating them about conservation. Sucheta Rawal, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2021
Adjective
Residents donate supplies and help orient the new arrivals on how to navigate their way to their final destinations. Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 The senior guard would then catch the ball, orient himself toward the basket, rise up and snap his right wrist as the shot left his hand. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 This astonishing picture shows the entire sky from horizon to horizon with the help of a wide angle lens (to help orient you, south is to the left, north to the right, west at the bottom, and east is at the top). Discover Magazine, 18 July 2023 Stan Carey jumperates to my defensitation after some readers decide to debate the use of orientate vs orient. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2010 The proceedings are expected to begin with a quorum call, a headcount that helps the clerk orient before the voting starts. WSJ, 20 Oct. 2023 During the following hour or two, the spacecraft will deploy its two cross-shaped solar-power arrays, orient itself with regards to the sun and establish contact with mission controllers on Earth. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2023 Even for novices, the series does lightning-quick Cliffs Notes to orient newcomers into this particular thread of the overarching story. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 22 Aug. 2023 With these tools in hand, orient yourself by finding a familiar constellation overhead and settle down for your search. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 28 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

French orienter, from Middle French, from orient

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin orient-, oriens, from present participle of oriri to rise; akin to Sanskrit ṛṇoti he moves, arises, Greek ornynai to rouse, oros mountain

First Known Use

Verb

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 3c

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of orient was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near orient

Cite this Entry

“Orient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orient. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

orient

1 of 2 verb
ori·​ent
ˈōr-ē-ˌent,
ˈȯr-
1
a
: to cause to face toward the east
b
: to set or arrange in a definite position especially in relation to the points of the compass
2
: to acquaint with a situation or environment
orient new students
3
: to direct towards the interests of a particular group
movies that are oriented toward teenagers

Orient

2 of 2 noun
Ori·​ent
ˈōr-ē-ənt,
ˈȯr-,
-ē-ˌent
: east entry 3 sense 2
especially : the countries of eastern Asia
Etymology

Noun

Middle English orient "east," from Medieval French orient (same meaning), from Latin orient-, oriens "the direction in which the sun rises," from oriri "to rise" — related to origin

Word Origin
The Romans had no magnetic compasses, so they depended on the position of the rising sun to determine directions in the daytime. The direction from which the sun rose (which we know as east) was called oriens. This word was formed from the verb oriri, meaning "to rise, come forth." The word oriens also came to be used for the part of the world in the direction from which the sun rose, that is, the area we call the East. The English word Orient, taken from the Latin oriens, was used for the same general area to the east of Europe, and especially eastern Asia. When the verb orient was first used in English, it meant "to set or face toward the east." To orient a church means to build it so that the aisles lead up to the main altar at the eastern end of the building. Other senses of the verb developed later.

Medical Definition

orient

transitive verb
1
: to set or arrange in any determinate position especially in relation to the points of the compass
2
: to acquaint with or adjust according to the existing situation or environment
3
: to cause the axes of the molecules of to assume the same direction

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