orient

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noun ori·ent \ ˈȯr-ē-ənt , -ē-ˌent \

Definition of orient

1 capitalized :regions or countries lying to the east of a specified or implied point :the eastern regions or countries of the world :east 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 archaic :east 1b

3 a :a pearl of great luster

b :the luster of a pearl

Origin and Etymology of orient

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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orient

adjective

Definition of orient

1 archaic :oriental 1

2 a :lustrous, sparkling

orient gems

b archaic :radiant, glowing

3 archaic :rising in the sky

Recent Examples of orient from the Web

Denali State Park is sometimes confused with the national park of the same name, so a stop at the impressive interpretive center and day-use area helps orient visitors.

— erin kirkland, Alaska Dispatch News, "New K’esugi Ken Campground: Go for the views, stay for the fun," 4 July 2017
Put food on the tray that slides in and out of the center of the tube, and orient it towards the sun.

— kevin dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "The Quest to Find the Best Camp Stove," 23 June 2017
Knowing buildings are there isn't critical, but showing them in outline helps orient passengers in the world.

— mark bergen, Bloomberg.com, "Waymo Tests Hardware to Ease Passenger Fears of Driverless Cars," 16 May 2017
Mark Enea is appropriately sleazy as the mugger who sets things in motion, Derek Travis Collard is a friendly ghost who helps orient Sam, and the actor named Mighty is intense and athletic as a belligerent subway ghost.

— sam hurwitt, The Mercury News, "Review: Classic tear-jerker ‘Ghost’ is now a musical — should you be scared?," 17 Feb. 2017

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of orient

see ¹orient

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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orient

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verb ori·ent \ ˈȯr-ē-ˌent \

Definition of orient

transitive verb

1 a :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

b :to set or arrange in any determinate position especially in relation to the points of the compass

c :to ascertain the bearings of

2 a :to set right by adjusting to facts or principles

b :to acquaint with the existing situation or environment

3 :to direct (something, such as a book or film) toward the interests of a particular group

4 :to cause the axes of the molecules of (a fiber or material) to assume the same direction

See orient defined for English-language learners

See orient defined for kids

Examples of orient in a Sentence

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 of orient from the Web

These ladies are changemakers: solution-focused, action-oriented, and determined as hell to make a difference.

— belisa silva, Harper's BAZAAR, "I Was Told I Was Too Pretty to Be a CEO," 18 Aug. 2017
Dan Utley, who coached Thomas at St. Xavier from 2007-2011, said Thomas was always goal-oriented.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "Justin Thomas' PGA Championship brings pride to Louisville community," 14 Aug. 2017
After researching possible steps, the Finz got an audition for Imaginology, a festival oriented around building young people’s interest in math, science, technology, arts and community service.

— kathleen luppi, Daily Pilot, "None of them is older than 11, but the Finz are ready to rock the OC Fair on Friday," 20 July 2017
And on the economic front, for all the Marxists on campus, students at top universities are notorious for being relentlessly career-oriented.

— max bloom, National Review, "The Strange Traditionalism of the Liberal Elite," 19 July 2017
P.Y.T. Historic Core, $$ This is the first time Josef Centeno has tried his hand at a style of cooking that is almost entirely produce oriented.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
FHWA supports a special tabulation of the ACS oriented toward transportation, which was used to generate the infographic.

— rachel siegel, Washington Post, "Can you guess the top 5 fastest and slowest commutes by state?," 7 July 2017
Housebuilders are beating the broader FTSE 250 Index of mid-cap U.K. companies this year, a gauge that’s more domestically oriented than the exporter-heavy FTSE 100 equity benchmark.

— aleksandra gjorgievska, Bloomberg.com, "Best May Be Over for Buoyant U.K. Homebuilders on Brexit Effects," 25 June 2017
Their son had taken swimming lessons and even earned a swimming merit badge in Cub Scouts, but his skills were oriented toward swimming pools.

— robert allen, Detroit Free Press, "How even good swimmers are drowning in Lake Michigan," 25 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of orient

French orienter, from Middle French, from orient

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1728

See Words from the same year

orient Synonyms

Synonyms

accustom, familiarize, initiate, introduce, acquaint, orientate

Related Words

habituate, wont; apprise, brief, clue (in), fill in, inform; educate, enlighten, ground, instruct, school, train, verse; expose, present, subject; advise, tell, tip (off), warn, wise (up); reacquaint

ORIENT Defined for English Language Learners

orient

play

verb

Definition of orient for English Language Learners

: 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

ORIENT Defined for Kids

orient

play

verb ori·ent \ ˈōr-ē-ˌent \

Definition of orient for Students

oriented; orienting

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.

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orientation

\ˌōr-ē-ən-ˈtā-shən\ noun

Medical Dictionary

orient

play

transitive verb ori·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

Learn More about orient

See words that rhyme with orient Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for orient Spanish Central: Translation of orient Nglish: Translation of orient for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of orient for Arabic speakers

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Origin and Etymology of orient

orient

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