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ori·ent | \ ˈȯr-ē-ˌent 
\
\oriented; orienting; orients
Definition of orient
(Entry 1 of 3)
1 : to direct (something, such as a book or film) toward the interests of a particular group
2a : to set right by adjusting to facts or principles
b : to acquaint with the existing situation or environment
3a : 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
nounori·ent | \ ˈȯr-ē-ənt , -ē-ˌent \
, -ē-ˌent \Definition of orient (Entry 2 of 3)
1 capitalized : 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
2a : a pearl of great luster
b : the luster of a pearl
orient
adjectiveDefinition of orient (Entry 3 of 3)
3 archaic : rising in the sky
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb In the 1980s, when Napa was still oriented toward relatively humble varietals like zinfandel, an epidemic of phylloxera — a rapacious insect that feeds on the roots and leaves of grape vines — wiped out crops.
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Ben Ryder Howe, New York Times, "The Grapelord of Napa Faces a Threat Worse Than Plague," 9 May 2020 Friedkin has an in-person manner that two entertainment veterans who met with him but asked for anonymity so as not to jeopardize relationships described as down-home and not oriented toward foreign-language titles.
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Steven Zeitchik, Washington Post, "President Trump targeted Hollywood for giving best picture to a foreign film. But the man who funded its Oscar run is a car-dealer from Texas.," 21 Feb. 2020 Other major players in fields like entertainment, home goods, and fast-food are shifting their message to be more humorous, action-oriented, and focused on benefits to general consumers or frontline healthcare workers.
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Karen Ho, Quartz, "Advertisers know you’re tired of somber Covid-19 ads, so they’re adding humor," 4 May 2020 The daily routine that kept my mother oriented to the time and day has been interrupted.
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Amara Walker, CNN, "Good for the body, bad for the mind: How social distancing may be hurting my mom," 24 Apr. 2020 Also, orient your rows, especially any trellises, parallel to the prevailing wind.
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Ac Shilton, Popular Mechanics, "How to Grow Your Own Food," 21 Apr. 2020 Set on one of the highest points in the Santa Monica Mountains, the three-bedroom, three-bathroom pyramid is oriented to face the magnetic north — the northern pole of Earth’s magnetic field that runs vertically down the planet.
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Los Angeles Times, "Pyramid house in Malibu sells to former Warner Bros. executive," 3 Apr. 2020 They are oriented toward resisting not leftist politics but leftist culture.
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Tanner Greer, National Review, "Learning the Wrong Lessons from Reform Conservatism," 17 Mar. 2020 The Dragon capsule then accelerated away from its Falcon 9 launch vehicle, oriented properly, deployed parachutes, and splashed down successfully, Ars reports.
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Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Rocket Report: It takes three years to build an SLS? Long March 5B coming," 24 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The woman, Janie Marshall, grabbed onto another patient’s IV pole to regain her balance and orient herself, the police said.
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New York Times, "Bleak Records in N.Y. and N.J., but Leaders See Coronavirus Curve Flattening," 8 Apr. 2020 The way our brain orients to making music on a guitar is just different to a keyboard layout.
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Dan Kopf, Quartz, "An update to a 37-year-old digital protocol could profoundly change the way music sounds," 30 Jan. 2020 Miljure recruits, orients and manages volunteers and community organizations who work to help brighten patients’ days.
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Anchorage Daily News, "Putting the ‘happy’ in the holidays for hospital patients," 18 Dec. 2019 Drawings are never easy to present to the public, but the video orients visitors who know the fresco.
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Cammy Brothers, WSJ, "Taking Shape Before Our Eyes," 14 June 2019 The culture of the political press orients individual practitioners toward their professional peers, rather than towards the users, or even towards the news.
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Ezra Klein, Vox, "Is the media making American politics worse?," 22 Oct. 2018 Paul Resnikoff, the publisher of Digital Music News, thinks Apple will keep the app going, but re-orient to send consumers to Apple Music.
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Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY, "What Apple is likely to do with Shazam, the early name-that-tune iPhone app," 11 Dec. 2017 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Vertically orient the lens inside the phone, and use a periscope-like prism to let in light.
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Popular Science, "The 100 greatest innovations of 2019," 3 Dec. 2019 The city, once the pearl of the orient, was totally destroyed – shelling and street-to-street fighting left little standing.
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Fox News, "The Battle of Manila 75 years later: Benjamin Hall’s father’s story," 5 Mar. 2020 If fuel can't power the thrusters that make sure both probes orient their antennae toward Earth, engineers wouldn't be able to receive data or communicate with the probes.
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Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Voyager 2 shut off its instruments to save power, NASA says," 29 Jan. 2020 If fuel can't power the thrusters that make sure both probes orient their antennae toward Earth, engineers wouldn't be able to receive data or communicate with the probes.
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Ashley Strickland, CNN, "What Voyager 2 has learned since entering interstellar space," 4 Nov. 2019 Each uses the sound of the city to orient and steady himself, finding peace in its tumult.
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Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, "How Moondog Captured the Sounds of New York," 9 Dec. 2019 If fuel can't power the thrusters that make sure both probes orient their antennae toward Earth, engineers wouldn't be able to receive data or communicate with the probes.
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Ashley Strickland, CNN, "What Voyager 2 has learned since entering interstellar space," 4 Nov. 2019 Progressives believe that learning will occur when the teacher accurately adjusts the system or environment, whereas conservatives orient learning to the intellectual growth of the student, which occurs internally.
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Rafi Eis, National Review, "The Progressive Transformation of New York City Schools," 7 Nov. 2019 An engineer by background, Neri has been trying to re-orient HPE on engineering and innovation.
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Susie Gharib, Fortune, "HPE CEO’s Leadership Advice: ‘Aspire to Be Something Bigger’," 2 Oct. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'orient.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Learn More about orient
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
'Orient' or 'Orientate'?
'Orient' or 'Orientate'?
We'll help you get your bearings.
Dictionary Entries near orient
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Last Updated
29 May 2020
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Cite this Entry
“Orient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orient. Accessed 29 May. 2020.
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More Definitions for orient
orient
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of orient
: to change or create (something, such as a book or a film) so that it appeals to a particular group of people or is suitable for a particular group of people
: to direct (someone) toward a goal
: to place (something) in a particular position or direction
See the full definition for orient in the English Language Learners Dictionary
orient
verbori·ent | \ ˈōr-ē-ˌent \
\oriented; orienting
Kids Definition of orient
1 : to set or arrange in a position especially so as to be lined up with certain points of the compass
Builders oriented the house to face east.
2 : to make familiar with an existing situation or environment
Volunteers are needed to orient new students.
3 : to direct toward the interests of a particular group
The movie is oriented toward children.
orient
transitive verbori·ent | \ ˈōr-ē-ˌent, ˈȯr- \
\Medical Definition of orient
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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Time Traveler for orient
The first known use of orient was in the 14th century
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