orientate

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verb ori·en·tate \ ˈȯr-ē-ən-ˌtāt , -ˌen- \

Definition of orientate

orientated; orientating

intransitive verb

:to face or turn to the east

situated the church so that it orientates

transitive verb

chiefly British

:orient

she learned to orientate new service members in the principles, practices and tools necessary to function in the Air Force
—Lancaster New Era

See orientate defined for English-language learners

See orientate defined for kids

orientate was our Word of the Day on 04/30/2017. Hear the podcast!

Examples of orientate in a Sentence

a program that helps to orientate new students
She needs to orientate herself to her new job.

Recent Examples of orientate from the Web

Fees for the center are $25 for a trainer orientated, $10 a month or $50 for six months for residents, and $15 a month or $75 for six months for non-residents.

— Courant Community, "Senior Center Celebrates Building's 15th Anniversary," 23 Aug. 2017
The people here are so welcoming and family-orientated, and everyone knows everyone.

— photographs and text by nancy borowick, New York Times, "Young Voices on a Targeted Island: ‘Very Lucky to Be From Guam’," 20 Aug. 2017
Yet while the rooftops soak up rays, houses are orientated to avoid direct sunlight inside, keeping interiors cool.

— tom page, CNN, "The Sustainable City: Is off-grid living the way forward for Dubai?," 14 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'orientate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Orientate is a synonym of "orient," and it has attracted criticism as a consequence. "Orient," which dates from the mid-18th century, is in fact the older of the two verbs - "orientate" joined the language in the mid-19th century. Both can mean "to cause to face toward the east" (and, not surprisingly, they are related to the noun Orient, meaning "the East"). Both also have broader meanings that relate to setting or determining direction or position, either literally or figuratively. Some critics dislike "orientate" because it is one syllable longer than "orient," but you can decide for yourself how important that consideration is to you. Personal choice is the primary deciding factor, although "orientate" tends to be used more often in British English than it is in American English.